WASHINGTON – The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) said it has revised its residency requirements and removed access for illegal aliens to FHA-insured mortgages by eliminating in its entirety the “non-permanent residents” category from the Title I and Title II programs. 

The announcement was made by Scott Turner, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees FHA.

In a statement, Turner said the update of FHA policy “ensures illegal aliens and non-permanent residents in the U.S. cannot access FHA-insured financing and refocuses the use of taxpayers’ resources and federal housing programs to benefit U.S. citizens.”

‘Strengthening Enforcement’

While illegal immigrants are technically ineligible to obtain FHA-backed home loans under U.S. law, HUD said its  announcement will strengthen enforcement mechanisms to ensure that illegal immigrants are not abusing the program in the future. 

It is unclear how many illegal immigrants have obtained FHA-backed loans, several news sources have noted. 

“HUD’s revised residency requirements for FHA-backed loans, which take effect on May 25, will apply to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients as well as individuals who are pending asylum or pending refugee status,  according to HUD.