Does the government pay for some or all of your housing costs? If you are part of a mixed-status household, the government is proposing a rule that would take that support away. But, it’s not yet decided. Regardless of your immigration status, you can tell the government what you think about this proposed rule.
On February 20, 2026, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed a rule that would require every member of a household to provide proof of citizenship or eligible immigration status in order to remain in HUD-funded housing.
This proposed rule has only now been introduced, which is the first step in it becoming a regulation.
Many advocates warn that should this rule be implemented, it would “effectively bar mixed-status families from federally-subsidized housing.” Under the proposed rule, mixed-status households would receive pro-rated, or a lesser amount of public assistance for 30 days and then lose the assistance completely.
Whether you support or oppose the rule, you have the right to submit a comment to the federal government.
This guide provides a general overview of how the rule-making process under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) works, and how you can submit a comment in opposition or in favor of the proposed HUD rule.
What is the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)?
The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) is a federal law that states how federal agencies interact with the public. It provides guidance about how these agencies resolve legal issues and make regulations that impact the public. These federal agencies review and make changes to existing policy through a process called rule-making.
This rule-making process requires agencies to publicly post proposed changes on the federal register, which is where the federal government notifies the public of any changes to federal regulations. Agencies have to give the public 30 to 60 days to comment on the proposed rule. The agency then considers the feedback and post the final rule.
Once the rule is posted, it becomes the regulation and changes how the agency does business.
How to submit a comment about a proposed rule
Anyone, regardless of immigration status, can submit a comment in favor of or in opposition to proposed rules. Your comment will become part of a public record and will be visible to the agency considering the rule and to the general public. To submit a comment on the HUD rule, you can click here. You have to include your email address to leave a comment.
The notice and comment period for the proposed HUD rule ends on April 21, 2026, meaning any feedback needs to be posted and received by that date. After that point, HUD will consider the feedback before posting the final rule.
