Washington, D.C., April 22, 2026 – David M. Dworkin, President and CEO of the National Housing Conference (NHC), released the following statement regarding NHC’s submission of a comment letter urging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to withdraw its proposed rule to revise eligibility verification requirements and make prorated housing assistance temporary:
“HUD’s proposed rule to harden eligibility verification requirements and make prorated housing assistance temporary for assisted households doesn’t fix a problem—it creates one. It would force tens of thousands of people, including children who are American citizens, into an impossible choice between staying together and keeping a roof over their heads. HUD’s concerns about immigration can and should be addressed through enforcement of existing laws, not by effectively evicting families who are here legally. That’s not sound housing policy. It’s a step backward that undermines decades of policy precedent that already balanced statutory compliance, family stability, administrative feasibility, and prudent stewardship of scarce federal housing resources.
The proposal isn’t just misguided housing policy; it is also bad budget policy. By pushing out mixed-status families who receive partial assistance and replacing them with households requiring full subsidies, the policy would cost taxpayers more while helping fewer people. At the same time, it would saddle housing providers with new bureaucratic burdens that distract from their core mission of providing safe, stable homes and discourage the partnerships we depend on to expand supply.
At a moment when housing instability is rising across the country, we should be focused on solutions that expand access and strengthen communities, not policies that predictably increase homelessness.”
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About the National Housing Conference (NHC): Founded in 1931, the National Housing Conference is the oldest and broadest housing coalition in America. NHC is a diverse continuum of affordable housing stakeholders who convene and collaborate through dialogue, advocacy, research, and education, to develop equitable solutions that serve our common interest—an America where everyone is able to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. Politically diverse and nonpartisan, NHC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more about NHC, visit www.nhc.org.