Demographic Data Highlight Potential Harm of New Trump Proposal to Restrict Housing Assistance

This paper assesses the impact of the Trump administration’s proposed rule that would bar families with undocumented members from receiving any form of federal housing assistance. At present, the assistance for mixed status families is prorated based on the number of eligible family members. Under the proposed rule, families would have to split up to retain assistance or give it up entirely and risk homelessness. Among the more than 100,000 people in 25,000 households that would be affected by the rule, 95 percent are people of color (predominantly Latino), 56 percent are female, and 53 percent are children. The authors also point out that the proposed rule would impose new documentation requirements on U.S. citizens and eligible immigrants who receive assistance. Housing officials would be expected to refuse applicants who cannot prove that they are U.S. citizens through the presentation of passports or birth certificates. Such requirements would serve to exclude large numbers of poor people who cannot produce such documentation. The report includes a chart estimating the number of people who would be negatively impacted by the proposed rule in each state.

Download now or view online.