The Department of Housing and Urban Development has finalized a rule requiring applicants and current recipients of certain federally assisted housing programs to verify their U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status, a change that could affect approximately 20,000 households containing nearly 80,000 people.

Published in the Federal Register on Thursday, November 12, the final rule is scheduled to take effect December 14, 2026. It expands documentation requirements to all household members, regardless of age, and applies to programs covered by Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980, including public housing and certain Section 8 programs.

The rule could result in thousands of people losing housing assistance if they cannot establish eligibility. The estimated 80,000 potentially affected individuals include approximately 36,000 children, according to figures cited in HUD's regulatory impact analysis. The actual number of households displaced will depend on individual eligibility determinations and whether affected families can obtain or maintain housing through other means.

Under the revised requirements, household members must provide evidence of U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. Verification will be conducted through the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program. The rule also eliminates the existing option allowing certain individuals to decline to claim eligible immigration status without providing documentation.

Mixed-status families may continue receiving prorated assistance temporarily while the eligibility of all household members is verified, where permitted by law. However, the final rule limits that arrangement rather than allowing it to continue indefinitely.

HUD says the changes are intended to align its regulations with federal law requiring housing assistance to be provided only to eligible individuals. The department also argues that the updated process will create a more consistent method of verifying eligibility.

The regulation includes procedures for individuals whose status cannot initially be confirmed. Housing authorities and other responsible entities must provide notice, allow additional documentation to be submitted and preserve the opportunity for an informal hearing before assistance is denied or terminated. Extensions may be granted when individuals are making diligent efforts to obtain required records.

HUD acknowledged concerns raised during the rulemaking process that documentation requirements could create difficulties for citizens and eligible noncitizens, particularly those facing delays obtaining birth certificates, passports or other records. The department said the final rule includes additional flexibility and that approximately 99% of existing tenants who are U.S. citizens have already had their citizenship verified by housing authorities or property owners.

The rule follows a proposal published by HUD in February 2026. Its implementation will require housing authorities and other responsible entities to notify affected tenants of the new requirements and begin collecting any outstanding documentation.