❓WHAT HAPPENED: A report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed billions in taxpayer funds went to “questionable” rental assistance recipients, including deceased tenants and potential non-citizens.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: HUD, under the Biden government, distributed funds to non-federal entities; dead people and non-citizens were among recipients.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The recently released report covers funds distributed in all 50 states, with a particular focus on New York, California, and Washington, D.C.
💬KEY QUOTE: “A massive abuse of taxpayer dollars not only occurred under President Biden’s watch, but was effectively incentivized by his administration’s failure to implement strong financial controls,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner.
🎯IMPACT: HUD is investigating and implementing measures to revoke or pause funding, with potential criminal referrals pending confirmation of fraud.
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report has revealed that billions of taxpayer funds were allocated to “questionable” rental assistance recipients during the Biden government’s final year. This included payments to around 30,000 deceased tenants and thousands of potential non-citizens, based on HUD’s “Agency Financial Report” for fiscal year 2025.
HUD noted that a significant portion of these payments was concentrated in Democrat-run New York, California, and Washington, D.C., with deceased recipients identified across all 50 states. The agency employed automated cross-checking between a U.S. Treasury database and its own records, identifying 30,054 deceased tenants who continued to receive or were enrolled in rental assistance after death.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner faulted the Biden government’s lack of oversight, saying, “A massive abuse of taxpayer dollars not only occurred under President Biden’s watch, but was effectively incentivized by his administration’s failure to implement strong financial controls resulting in billions worth of potential improper payments.”
In fiscal year 2024, HUD provided about $50 billion in federal rental assistance, with $5.8 billion identified as “questionable.” The report linked these problems to directives under the Biden government pushing for rapid distribution of funds with reduced scrutiny. It also highlighted that rental assistance programs depended largely on outside entities to handle complex compliance requirements.
HUD is currently assessing potential fraud and its scope, while implementing measures to halt or recover funding. “HUD is implementing processes and procedures to revoke or pause funding as part of its efforts to hold bad actors accountable,” an official told the press.
The department is also evaluating possible criminal referrals and other enforcement steps.
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