HUD Launches National Crime Reporting Hotline for Federally Funded Housing
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is introducing a national hotline aimed at reporting criminal activity in housing supported by federal funding. This move underscores the government’s ongoing efforts to address issues like violence, fraud, and illegal immigration in communities that rely on taxpayers’ money.
On November 24, HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the establishment of a crime reporting hotline designed to improve safety in HUD-funded developments. The initiative targets various criminal activities, including gang violence, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the presence of individuals who shouldn’t be in these properties, like sex offenders or undocumented residents.
The hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-347-3735, offers residents a direct line to report threats and illegal activities as they happen. Additionally, HUD officials confirmed that online reports can be made at HUDOIG.gov/hotline. The department stated that the initial focus of this crackdown will be areas in Memphis and Washington, D.C., where federal law enforcement has already conducted thousands of arrests and confiscated weapons this year under the directives of President Trump.
This initiative follows a series of housing reforms implemented by HUD, led by Turner, to prioritize American citizens in housing policies throughout 2025. One notable reform includes a memorandum of understanding with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem titled “America’s Housing Program for Americans,” which aims to prevent the distribution of housing funds to unauthorized immigrants. The agency has revised Federal Housing Administration loan eligibility to require proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency, effectively barring access to non-permanent residents, including individuals under DACA.
Under Trump’s executive order entitled Ending Taxpayer Subsidy for Open Borders, HUD has mandated over 3,000 public housing authorities to verify the legal status of their tenants. Authorities that do not comply may face funding assessments and enforcement actions. HUD has made it clear that its assistance programs, including Section 8 vouchers and FHA-insured mortgages, are meant for U.S. citizens and legally eligible residents only.
The new hotline is in support of the Memphis Safety Task Force, which President Trump announced in September. Since October, this task force has apprehended over 3,100 violent fugitives, including 12 murder suspects, and seized more than 500 illegal firearms. These operations involved multiple agencies like the FBI and U.S. Marshals, focusing on high-crime neighborhoods and working to remove known gang members and sex offenders from public housing.
This fall, authorities arrested 93 illegal foreign criminals within just 72 hours, including gang-related suspects and individuals wanted for child rape. Local leaders and federal agencies believe this crackdown signifies a pivotal moment in improving public safety in one of America’s most crime-ridden cities.
