A recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed that billions in rental assistance funds were allocated to tenants who had passed away.
About 30,000 deceased individuals, along with many others who might not be citizens, received rental aid. This information comes from HUD’s Fiscal Year 2025 “Authority Financial Report.” The majority of these payments went to places like New York, California, and Washington, D.C., with deceased recipients being found across all states.
“This massive misuse of taxpayer money isn’t something that just occurred suddenly. [President] Biden’s administration has been responsible for failing to enforce strict financial oversight, which has led to considerable potential for improper expenditures,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner remarked.
The report analyzed HUD records alongside data from the U.S. Treasury Department, discovering “30,054 deceased tenants who were either enrolled in rental assistance programs or received aid post-enrollment.” There are also concerns regarding questionable payments potentially arising from the organization’s internal handling of finances.
“HUD will keep investigating these startling discoveries and will take necessary actions to hold wrongdoers accountable,” Turner stated. He added that the Department is advancing initiatives established during the Trump administration to improve program integrity and ensure support reaches the communities in need.
In 2024, HUD dispersed $50 billion in federal rental assistance to various entities. However, the report indicated that $5.8 billion of this was deemed “questionable payments,” attributing this to the Biden administration’s approach to swiftly distributing funds with limited scrutiny.
According to FOX News, the report claims that the Biden administration didn’t provide HUD with the essential tools for verifying compliance with the “complex regulations regarding rental assistance.” Additionally, it noted that these programs place considerable trust and responsibility on the non-federal agencies receiving assistance.
A HUD official also mentioned, “To hold those responsible accountable, we are implementing processes to revoke or pause funding,” emphasizing that the department might pursue criminal referrals or other legal actions if fraud is found.
