Womankind Strongly Opposes HUD’s Proposed Rule to Deny Mixed-Status Families Access to Federal Housing Assistance
Womankind Strongly Opposes HUD's Proposed Rule to Deny Mixed-Status Families Access to Federal Housing Assistance
In February 2026, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a proposed rule that would bar families with mixed immigration status from living in federally subsidized housing. Under the current policy, eligible family members—including U.S. citizens and lawfully present immigrants—can still receive pro-rated housing assistance even if another member of the household does not have eligible immigration status. The proposed rule would reverse this longstanding approach by denying housing assistance to entire families unless every household member meets the eligibility requirements. As a result, families could face eviction, family separation, or the loss of stable housing despite having eligible members, including U.S. citizen children.
The proposal would also require all household members to undergo immigration status verification through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, a system that has faced criticism over inaccuracies and administrative barriers. Advocates and service providers across the country, including Womankind, have raised concerns that the proposed changes would disproportionately harm immigrant communities, increase housing instability, and create additional risks for survivors of gender-based violence, including domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual violence.
Due to the considerable risks this proposal presents to immigrant families and survivors of gender-based violence, Womankind formally opposed the rule and urged HUD to withdraw it through a public comment. We were among nearly 11,600 comments submitted by advocates nationwide. Now that the public comment period has concluded, HUD is obligated to review these submissions before issuing the final rule.
Womankind submitted the following statement as part of broader advocacy efforts urging HUD to abandon the proposed changes:
Womankind expressed our strong opposition to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s proposed rule “Housing and Community Development Act of 1980: Verification of Eligible Status (FR-6524).” and have urged the administration to immediately withdraw this harmful proposal.
Womankind provides a range of direct services including emergency housing (shelter), counseling, legal assistance, and economic empowerment to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual violence residing in New York. While we specialize in serving Asian survivors, we support individuals and families from all communities, delivering holistic, culturally responsive services in English, Spanish, and more than 18 Asian languages and dialects.
Federal housing assistance is essential to helping immigrant gender violence survivors and their families secure stable, affordable housing and rebuild their lives free from abuse and exploitation. The proposed changes to federal housing assistance eligibility would undermine survivor safety, family unity, and community well-being for the following reasons:
1. The proposed rule will increase homelessness, abuse, and family separation.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the proposed rule could cause 80,000 people—including 37,000 children, most of whom are U.S. citizens—to lose housing assistance or face family separation. Housing instability is not just a hardship; it leaves people vulnerable to abuse and exploitation when the only alternative to sleeping on the street is a dangerous living arrangement. The impact of this rule change will be especially severe in New York, which is home to 13% of all mixed-status households reside and one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.
2. Trafficking and domestic violence survivors with pending immigration relief will be put at risk of eviction.
Survivors who have applied for crime victim visas, such as U and T visas, often wait years for adjudication. During this time, they cooperate with law enforcement and participate in criminal proceedings, playing a critical role in ensuring broader public safety. Survivors with pending eligible immigration status, who receive prorated housing assistance through U.S.-born children, should not be evicted while they await their visa. Evicting these families will not enhance public safety; it will only make it more difficult for survivors to participate in legal proceedings and increase their vulnerability to homelessness, exploitation, and abuse.
3. New documentation requirements will create unnecessary and harmful barriers for survivors.
Under the proposed rule, housing authorities and landlords administering rental assistance will be required to collect and verify documentation of citizenship from all residents and applicants. Survivors often face unique barriers to obtaining such documents. Many have experienced homelessness, changed their last names through marriage, or had their identification documents withheld by abusive partners. These realities make compliance difficult even for eligible individuals and risk denying assistance to those who would otherwise qualify.
4. Reliance on the SAVE program risks wrongful denials and evictions.
Research from the Brennan Center and a 2018 report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights document inaccuracies and systemic issues within the data sets that make up the SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) program. Overreliance on flawed data increases the likelihood that eligible individuals and families will be wrongly denied assistance or evicted. In the context of housing, such errors carry severe consequences for people’s well-being and safety.
For survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual violence, safe and stable housing is a cornerstone of recovery and long-term safety. This proposed rule would destabilize families, undermine public safety, and disproportionately harm children and U.S. citizens in mixed-status households.
We have urged the administration to withdraw this cruel proposal and pursue policies that create more affordable housing and expand rental assistance rather than policies that scapegoat immigrants, tear families apart, and exacerbate our housing crisis.
