House Financial Services Committee Advances Legislation Blocking Cruel HUD Proposal to Evict Mixed-Immigrant Status Families
The Bill Sponsored by Rep. Garcia Would Prevent 55,000 Children From Becoming At-Risk of Eviction and Homelessness
Style Magazine Newswire | 6/12/2019, 6:39 p.m.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Financial Services Committee advanced legislation sponsored by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) for full consideration by the House of Representatives. The bill, the Keeping Families Together Act, H.R. 2763, would block a proposed US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule that targets mixed-immigrant status families for federal housing eviction, including 55,000 children.
“I am incredibly proud that the Keeping Families Together Act was passed out of Committee today. This bill will prevent a completely unnecessary and reckless HUD rule from splitting apart families and leaving children homeless,” said Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. “With this proposed rule, the Trump Administration has made it clear that politics are more important than the wellbeing of our children and families.”
Congresswoman Garcia continued, “Rather than helping our immigration enforcement efforts, this cruel and shameless proposed rule will significantly harm already impoverished children and pass on significant costs to taxpayers. That is why we are acting now with the Keeping Families Together Act to end this proposal before it can do real harm to our families and communities.”
On May 10, 2019 the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed changes to its implementation of Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980.
If implemented, these new documentation requirements would put 76,000 citizens and eligible permanent residents including 55,000 children, who are living in public housing or Section 8 project-based rental (PBRA) assistance or receiving a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) at risk of eviction, homelessness, and family separation despite existing requirements that prevent people with ineligible immigration status from receiving HUD subsidies.
HUD’s own analysis shows that after implementation the likeliest outcome “would be that HUD would have to reduce the quantity and quality of assisted housing in response to the higher costs.”
The Keeping Families Together Act passed the House Financial Services Committee and will now be considered by the full House of Representatives in the coming weeks.
