Nuestra Casa staff members Claudia Nava and Kassandra Vivanco Guerrero – experts on local housing and immigrant communities’ specific needs – wrote an important, timely guest perspective highlighting a proposed Housing and Urban Development rule change that threatens to escalate the housing crisis by further destabilizing housing for tens of thousands of people in mixed status families. This rule change would end prorated assistance to mixed-status families and create a no-win scenario for them: lose housing or split up their family. To read their San Mateo Daily Journal article, click here.
Ms. Nava and Ms. Guerrero argue that HUD’s statements about this rule change are false using evidence-based and common sense arguments in addition to their real world experience working with our community members. They make the following key points:
- The housing crisis remains a stubborn public policy challenge, and this rule will worsen the housing crisis for millions in our region. In San Mateo County alone, where we assist immigrant families secure safe and affordable housing, approximately 21% of Latinos in mixed-status households are undocumented, among the highest percentage in California.
- The rule change is unnecessary because no undocumented residents receive direct assistance for HUD programs, including section 8 and public housing, as clearly outlined in Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980.
- The proposed rule also imposes more burdensome verification and documentation requirements, which could equally impact United States citizens who do not have the required paperwork (e.g, birth certificates, passports).
The Op-Ed explains how readers can make their voices heard by calling their local U.S. Representative or U.S. Senators. It also explains that readers can submit a public comment to the federal register by the deadline for this particular proposed rule change. Public comments matter. They become part of the administrative record and can support future litigation challenging the rule should it go into effect. Second, by law, agencies must review them and adequately consider any significant issues these comments raise.
Claudia Nava and Kassandra Vivanco Guerrero work on the frontlines of housing instability. At Nuestra Casa, they support families to apply for housing assistance, and conduct community workshops.
