In an exclusive interview, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner sharply criticized the Biden administration, arguing that years of “unchecked illegal immigration” and loosened border policies have placed extraordinary pressure on the U.S. housing market particularly for low-income Americans already struggling to find affordable places to live. Turner’s remarks come alongside the release of HUD’s latest Worst Case Housing Needs Report, a comprehensive national assessment published every two years that evaluates the state of housing affordability.
The report, considered HUD’s most important metric for understanding the condition of housing for America’s lowest-income renters, is widely used by lawmakers, federal agencies, and housing experts to shape policy and direct resources. Its findings are closely watched because they reveal trends in affordable housing supply, rising rental burdens, and which communities are being disproportionately affected by market pressures.
Turner Blames Biden Policies for Housing Strain
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Turner said this year’s report contains “damning indicators” that he believes stem directly from the previous administration’s immigration strategy.
“The unchecked illegal immigration and open-borders policies allowed by the Biden administration continue to put significant strain on housing, pricing out American families,” Turner said.
“These policies have plagued America’s housing market, but in President Trump, Americans finally have a leader fighting to restore sanity to immigration policy.”
Turner argues that federal housing supply already tight due to years of underbuilding has been overwhelmed by rapid population growth driven by illegal immigration and refugee resettlement in states like New York, California, Colorado, and Florida. According to HUD’s findings, the U.S. is now home to an estimated 15 million illegal immigrants, a group that represents nearly 30% of all foreign-born residents.
Experts Challenge Turner’s Conclusions
But not everyone agrees with Turner’s assessment. Some housing economists argue that while immigration contributes to demand, the crisis cannot be pinned on a single factor.
Jenna Stauffer, a Global Real Estate Advisor with Sotheby’s International Realty in Key West, told Fox News Digital that immigration alone is not creating the affordability crisis.
“Housing affordability has been unraveling for years. The problems we’re dealing with go way beyond any one factor,” Stauffer said.
“We’ve been underbuilding for almost two decades. After the Great Recession, construction stalled and took years to recover. The U.S. is short four to seven million homes and that long-term shortage is the core issue.”
Her perspective highlights an ongoing debate among researchers: whether illegal immigration is the primary cause of today’s affordability issues, or whether lack of supply, construction costs, and pandemic-era disruptions are the more dominant drivers.
HUD’s Findings: Immigration Driving Up Rents and Home Prices
Despite expert disagreements, HUD’s 2025 report presents striking data showing immigration’s growing influence on the housing market.
Key findings include:
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In California and New York, immigrants accounted for 100% of rental growth and over half of all growth in owner-occupied housing in recent years.
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Nationwide, immigrants drove more than 60% of growth in rental housing demand.
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The foreign-born population accounted for two-thirds of total rental demand growth, up significantly from 13% in pre-pandemic years.
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Without the recent surge in migration, the report estimates the U.S. would have seen 784,000 fewer households formed, easing rental pressure.
The 109-page report concludes that illegal immigration has “directly strained the availability of affordable housing,” contributing to price increases and shrinking inventory for low-income citizens.
Turner Removes FHA Mortgages for Noncitizens
In separate comments to Fox Business, Turner said HUD has revoked Federal Housing Administration–backed mortgage benefits previously available to illegal immigrants under the Biden administration.
He accused Biden officials of “turning a blind eye” to abuses of the system and pledged strict enforcement moving forward. Turner emphasized that HUD resources will now prioritize American citizens first.
“No longer will illegal aliens be able to leave citizenship boxes blank or take advantage of HUD-funded housing,” Turner said.
“HUD currently serves only one out of every four eligible families due in part to lack of enforcement.”
Audit and Enforcement Actions Under Turner
In August, Turner launched a nationwide audit of all public housing authorities, demanding verification of citizenship status among tenants receiving subsidized housing. He said too many noncitizens had previously received benefits “by omission.”
The audit aligns with broader Trump administration directives aimed at tightening federal housing eligibility rules, increasing deportations, and closing loopholes that some migrants allegedly exploited to obtain housing assistance.
Support From Trump and Vice President Vance
Vice President JD Vance, who has echoed Turner’s views on immigration’s role in rising housing costs, pointed to recent rent declines as evidence supporting the administration’s policies.
“Six months of zero illegals released into our country. Two million removed. Rents dropped for the fourth straight month. Coincidence? I think not,” Turner previously said.
Vance called the link between illegal immigration and high housing costs “clear as day,” citing HUD’s findings as validation.
Critics: Other Factors Matter More
Yet several scholars say the report may overemphasize immigration impacts. Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies researcher Riordan Frost said that while the 2020–2023 immigration surge played a role, pandemic-driven demand from native-born Americans was equally important during the period of tight supply and rising prices.
Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-NJ) also accused Turner of worsening the crisis through budget cuts.
“If you really believed what you’re saying, you would not slash your agency’s budget by over 50%,” she told him during a congressional hearing.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) also charged that Turner was “abandoning HUD’s legal obligation” to fight housing discrimination during a period of rising complaints.
Housing Market Heading Into 2026
Economists expect the 2026 housing market to mark a “reset,” with cooling rents, slower price growth, and increased construction expected to relieve some pressure. But experts warn the long-term supply gap remains enormous.