More than 30,000 deceased individuals and thousands of other ineligible recipients received rental assistance payments during the final year of President Joe Biden’s administration, according to a newly released report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The review alleges that $5.8 billion in rental assistance distributed in 2024 was “questionable,” with payments sent to deceased tenants and to individuals using invalid Social Security numbers. The 183-page report attributes the lapses to what it describes as an “erosion of the control environment” during the Biden administration, citing major gaps in oversight and internal safeguards.
The findings were first reported by the New York Poston Tuesday.
“A massive abuse of taxpayer dollars not only occurred under President Biden’s watch, but was effectively incentivized by his administration’s failure to implement strong financial controls resulting in billions worth of potential improper payments,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner told the Post.
In total, nearly $50 billion in federal rental assistance was issued in 2024. According to the report, roughly 200,000 recipients were deemed ineligible. That group included 30,054 deceased individuals, 9,472 non-citizens, and more than 165,000 people who received amounts exceeding the assistance limits for their geographic areas.
HUD officials said a significant share of the questionable payments were concentrated in California, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Turner said the department will continue investigating what he called “shocking” misuse of funds and will pursue accountability for those involved. He added that HUD is strengthening program integrity measures to prevent similar issues during President Donald Trump’s administration.
The report arrives amid heightened scrutiny over government spending and alleged misuse of public funds. In recent weeks, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has faced criticism from conservatives, including President Trump, over a fraud scheme federal prosecutors say siphoned $9 billion in taxpayer money. Separately, Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte has accused several prominent Democrats of mortgage fraud, claims that have prompted investigations but have not resulted in indictments. Pulte has since been accused of misusing his office to target political opponents.
