Senator Rivera on the Trump Administration's HUD Proposed Rule Change

Last month, the U.S Department of Housing Development (HUD) proposed a cruel and inhumane rule change prohibiting “mixed-status families” from living in public and other forms of federally subsidized housing. Mixed-status families have at least one undocumented family member in their household composition, while other members of the household are either citizens or legal residents.

Under the newly proposed rule, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program (SAVE Program) would review the citizenship status of all members in a household who receive federal housing aid. If a household is found to be of mixed-status, these families, who already pay higher rents because of their status, would lose all of their federal housing aid, including vouchers and public housing.

I strongly reject this malicious, dehumanizing proposal. This is further proof that this soulless administration will stop at nothing to punish our country's immigrant communities and restrict their ability to access basic needs, such as housing. By HUD’s own admission, this proposal would have a devastating impact on some of our country’s most vulnerable families. In an impact analysis compiled by HUD, an estimated 108,000 families across the United States would be affected. Approximately, 70 percent of those displaced would be citizens or legal residents and 55,000 of them would be children. In New York City, 6,600 children in public housing, along with their families, could end up homeless if this proposal is implemented, further exacerbating the broader homelessness and housing challenges in our City.

We must forcefully oppose this proposed rule change by submitting a public comment to the Federal Registry by July 9, 2019. To all our immigrant families who are facing countless threats by an adminstration seeking to instill fear and chaos, I will stand with you in the face of such blatant injustices. We are stronger together and we will not stand idly by while our families are separated.