HUD has finalized its new “Mixed-Status” rule, which is scheduled to take effect in mid-December, just as families and housing providers enter the holiday season. The new rule would force mixed-status immigrant families to choose between breaking up so some can stay housed or leave their homes together and face eviction and homelessness. HUD also wants to impose burdensome new documentation and verification requirements on Public Housing Agencies (PHAs), property owners, and all households–not just mixed-status families–receiving assistance through covered HUD programs.
Congress must act now to prevent these harmful changes from taking effect through the duration of the next Continuing Resolution (CR).
The rule will require all applicants and current tenants in covered programs to verify their U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status using a faulty system at the Department of Homeland Security. This includes older noncitizens who have not previously been required to submit such documentation.
The consequences for families could be devastating. Under the new requirements, households that cannot satisfy the verification requirements may lose their homes. Families could experience disruptions if they are unable to locate, obtain, or submit the required paperwork in time. These burdens will fall on families already struggling to afford housing and housing providers working to administer programs with limited resources.
These requirements will also create enormous administrative burdens for PHAs and housing providers, which will have to notify tenants, collect and review documents, and navigate additional verification procedures.
Take Action: Tell your members of Congress to keep families whole and housed!
Advocates can take action today by urging their members of Congress to include language in the next CR preventing HUD from implementing or enforcing the Mixed-Status rule for the duration of the continuing resolution:
Use this take action link to contact your members of Congress today!
Check out the Keep Families Together toolkit for more resources and information, including sample social media posts, email templates, and more.