Section 214 (42 U.S.C. §1436a) bars HUD financial assistance to persons who are not U.S. citizens or certain categories of eligible non‑citizens and requires that assistance be provided only to those with verified eligible immigration/citizenship status. HUD’s implementing regulations (24 C.F.R. part 5, subpart E) require documentation of status, use of verification systems (e.g., SAVE), and that assistance not be paid on behalf of an individual whose eligible status has not been verified (except while verification is pending as allowed by the rule).
The EIV–SAVE Tenant Match Report is a HUD/REAC report that combines HUD’s Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) data with USCIS’s SAVE checks. SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) is a USCIS/DHS online service that verifies an individual’s immigration/citizenship category by matching applicant-supplied biographic/documents against DHS/USCIS records and returning response codes; benefit agencies interpret SAVE responses to decide eligibility.
Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) are locally operated housing agencies that administer HUD public housing and HCV/Section 8 programs. The HUD directive requires PHAs to review their EIV‑SAVE Tenant Match Reports, verify individuals’ citizenship/immigration status (using SAVE and required documentation), correct any inaccurate status reporting, and take programmatic actions (e.g., remove ineligible tenants, adjust assistance) within 30 days or face penalties.
HUD’s public notice and SAVE guidance show agencies must provide applicants/participants an opportunity to contest or supplement information used in SAVE (agencies typically must follow SAVE procedures and program grievance/appeal rules). Exact appeal steps depend on program and local PHA/owner grievance procedures; HUD guidance requires agencies to allow verification reviews and to follow HUD eligibility/denial procedures when terminating or denying assistance.
Federal SAVE and DHS/USCIS privacy documents and HUD EIV privacy notices state that SAVE/EIV exchanges are covered by interagency agreements and privacy controls; SAVE operates under USCIS privacy safeguards (PIA/SORN) and uses secure, authorized access and limited-purpose data sharing. HUD guidance also references privacy protections for tenant data; details on access, logs, and disclosures are in USCIS/DHS SAVE privacy materials and HUD notices.
Under Section 214/HUD regulations, mixed‑status households can receive prorated assistance: eligible members’ subsidy is calculated separately and assistance may be apportioned so that the presence of an ineligible household member does not automatically deny aid to eligible members; PHAs must follow HUD’s rules for calculating and documenting prorated benefits.
HUD’s announcement says noncompliance may lead to unspecified ‘‘sanctions’’ and that HUD will recapture (recover) payments made for ineligible or deceased tenants; HUD often uses remedies such as financial recovery (repayment/recoupment), withholding funds, administrative sanctions under program contracts, and debarment/other penalties, but the HUD release does not list step‑by‑step sanctions—specific enforcement actions would be applied under applicable HUD statutes, regulations, and program agreements.