The Trump administration has revived a contentious housing policy, sending panic through immigrant communities across the United States. A new directive from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) threatens to evict thousands of families, including undocumented Kenyans, from public housing – a move that has drawn widespread condemnation from housing advocates and legal experts.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced that every Public Housing Authority (PHA) must, within 30 days, provide a detailed accounting of tenants, including proof of U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status. Failure to comply could result in severe funding penalties. Turner defended the directive as a measure to prioritize Americans. “No longer will illegal aliens be able to leave citizenship boxes blank or take advantage of HUD-funded housing, riding the coattails of hardworking American citizens,” he declared.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner
At the centre of the controversy is the elimination of the long-standing “mixed-status” rule. Previously, families with both eligible members (citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylum seekers) and ineligible members could still live together in subsidized housing, with subsidies prorated for eligible residents only. Under the new HUD order, entire households would be deemed ineligible if even one member lacks qualifying immigration status.
Immigrant communities, including thousands of Kenyans in states such as Texas, New York, and Minnesota, now face devastating consequences. “This is not just about policies—it’s about human lives,” said Peter Otieno, a Kenyan community organizer in Texas. “We have families who pay taxes through ITIN numbers, who contribute to their neighborhoods, but now risk losing the only stable housing they have. It is devastating.”
Housing advocates argue the administration’s justification is misleading. While HUD insists the policy will reduce long waitlists, experts say it will destabilize more families than it helps. Marie Claire Tran-Leung, Project Director at the National Housing Law Project (NHLP), criticized the move: “No matter where we come from or how long we’ve lived here, our country has the resources to ensure all of us have a safe place to call home. But Trump and HUD’s Scott Turner are threatening to take away the funding necessary to keep millions of people housed.”
The numbers are clear. HUD’s own 2019 estimates suggested that eliminating the mixed-status rule would affect approximately 25,000 households impacting 108,000 residents, including 55,000 children, the vast majority U.S. citizens. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities projected that 58,200 children could lose housing, with about 56,000 of them citizens.
Critics also warn of the administrative and financial strain on PHAs. Tim Kaiser, executive director of the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, noted that compliance would drain staff resources and divert funds from essential services. A HUD analysis previously estimated a $200 million annual loss for agencies if the rule were implemented, largely due to reduced rent contributions from mixed-status families.
Beyond the numbers, advocates fear a chilling effect. Increased data sharing between HUD and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could fuel fear of deportation, discouraging immigrant families from applying for assistance, even when eligible. Many may self-evict to avoid scrutiny, leading to homelessness and family separation.
The administration frames the directive as a matter of fairness, tied to President Trump’s Executive Order 14218, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.” But housing experts like Deborah Thrope, NHLP’s deputy director, argue otherwise: “Ending the mixed-status rule won’t shorten waitlists. It will fuel instability nationwide.”
Legal challenges are expected soon, echoing successful lawsuits in 2019 that blocked similar attempts. Until then, thousands of families including undocumented Kenyans face an uncertain future, forced to choose between family unity and housing stability.
