LA Council Opposes HUD Citizenship Rule
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously opposed a proposed Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule that would require proof of citizenship for all residents. Council members argued the rule would create significant barriers to housing access and could discriminate against the city's large immigrant population.
- The proposed rule, announced by HUD Secretary Scott Turner in February 2026, would require all occupants of federally subsidized housing to prove U.S. citizenship or an eligible immigration status. This aligns with a February 2025 presidential executive order aimed at "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders." - Currently, "mixed-status" families, which include members with varying citizenship or immigration statuses, can live together in subsidized housing with the rental assistance prorated to cover only the eligible members. The new proposal seeks to make this prorated assistance a temporary measure pending verification of the entire family's status. - A key change in the proposal is the elimination of the "do not contend" option, which currently allows a household member to opt out of claiming eligible status without affecting the prorated subsidy for other family members. The rule would also remove the age exemption, requiring individuals aged 62 and older to provide documentation of their status. - According to HUD, an audit found nearly 200,000 tenants with incomplete or unknown eligibility verification and estimates that approximately 24,000 ineligible individuals reside in 20,000 "mixed-status households." - Opponents of the rule argue it could lead to the eviction of tens of thousands of families, including many with U.S. citizen children. In Los Angeles alone, an estimated 1,700 families are at risk of eviction if the rule is enacted. - The proposal would mandate that Public Housing Authorities and property owners report to the Department of Homeland Security if they determine a household member is in the U.S. unlawfully. - A similar rule was proposed during the Trump administration but was ultimately withdrawn by the Biden administration. Critics of the current proposal argue it is a revival of a previously defeated policy. - The rule is currently in a proposed state and will be open for public comment for 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, which was scheduled for February 20, 2026.
