Eligibility for federal housing assistance is limited to U.S. citizens and noncitizens with eligible immigration status. Under Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980, HUD is prohibited from providing financial assistance to individuals who do not meet these eligibility requirements.

On February 19, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14218, Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders, which directs HUD to ensure that taxpayer funded benefits are provided only to American citizens and eligible noncitizens.

In alignment with this directive, the Office of Multifamily Housing Programs is reminding Owners and Agents of their ongoing responsibility to:

1. Document and verify the citizenship or eligible immigration status of all individuals prior to admission into the Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) Program; and
2. Prorate assistance for any “mixed-status household” that includes an individual who is not eligible for federal housing assistance.

This letter serves as a reminder of the required procedures for verifying citizenship and immigration status and for calculating prorated assistance for mixed-status households.

Source: Office of Multifamily Housing email on 01/16/2026