Owner Agent Letter on Citizenship and Immigration Status Verification
On January 16, 2026, HUD distributed a memo to owner agents reminding the industry that Eligibility for federal housing assistance is limited to U.S. citizens and noncitizens who have eligible immigration status. Specifically, section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 prohibits HUD from making financial assistance available to ineligible noncitizens.
The letter reminds the industry of the steps that must be taken to verify citizenship and immigration status and calculate prorated assistance for mixed-status households.
In short, to ensure that only eligible individuals receive federal housing assistance, Owners/Agents (O/As) must:
- Document and verify the citizenship or eligible immigration status of individuals prior to admission to the Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program; and
- Prorate assistance for any “mixed-status household” in which an ineligible noncitizen resides.
The complete document steps through the process as defined in the HUD handbook and contains an Appendix A which is a crosswalk of SAVE System Responses and eligibility for HUD assistance that may be beneficial to review.
In the event your agency has not received a copy, click here to download the HUD memo.