Sponsor
Timothy Burchett
Representative · R-TN
Representative · R-TN
The bill prioritizes preserving federal housing funds for documented eligible recipients and strengthens enforcement tools, at the cost of excluding unlawfully present people from services, risking harm to mixed-status households, increasing administrative burdens on providers, and enabling diversion of housing resources toward enforcement.
Federal taxpayers and eligible low-income households will see federal housing funds preserved for eligible recipients by excluding individuals unlawfully present from federally funded housing assistance.
Federal and state agencies will gain clearer compliance and enforcement tools (certifications, monitoring, civil penalties, debarment) to enforce eligibility rules and reduce misuse of grant funds.
Law-enforcement and immigration-enforcement agencies may be able to use housing-related funds or information to support targeted immigration or criminal enforcement activities.
Unlawfully present immigrants will be barred from federally funded rental, utility, shelter, and stabilization services, increasing their housing instability and risk of homelessness.
Low-income households—including U.S. citizens and lawful residents in mixed-status families—could be denied or lose access to housing assistance when programs require immigration-status verification, reducing program reach for otherwise eligible people.
State and local agencies and nonprofit service providers will face increased administrative burdens, higher compliance costs, and heightened risk of civil penalties or funding loss for verification errors.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars use of federal funds for a wide range of housing assistance to people unlawfully present in the U.S., and requires agencies to enforce compliance with penalties for violations.
Official title: To prohibit the use of Federal funds for housing assistance for aliens unlawfully present in the United States, and for other purposes.
Introduced September 2, 2026 by Timothy Burchett · Last progress September 2, 2026
Prohibits use of federal funds to provide housing assistance to people unlawfully present in the United States, while allowing federal funds to be used for immigration or criminal-law enforcement. Federal agencies must require recipients of federal housing-related funds to certify compliance, monitor for violations, and impose penalties and temporary ineligibility for noncompliance. The bill defines a broad list of "covered housing assistance," including rental and mortgage help, vouchers, utility and hotel/motel support, emergency and permanent housing, stabilization services (like eviction prevention and case management), and related administrative costs, and tasks agency heads with enforcing the prohibition through monitoring, certifications, civil penalties, and debarment periods for violators.