Quick Read
- HUD rescinded the 30-day eviction notice rule for nonpayment of rent, effective March 30, 2026, allowing evictions in as few as five days.
- The agency proposed new rules allowing public housing agencies to impose work mandates (up to 40 hours/week) and term limits (as short as two years) for non-disabled tenants.
- Tenant rights groups, including the National Housing Law Project and Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia, filed a lawsuit against HUD to delay the 30-day notice rollback.
- HUD Secretary Scott Turner stated the changes aim to cut red tape, promote local flexibility, and restore dignity by making housing assistance a temporary foundation for self-sufficiency.
- The Troy City Council is expected to vote on a local ‘good cause eviction’ law, contrasting with the federal deregulation.
WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is moving forward with significant policy changes that will allow for more rapid evictions and introduce new work requirements and term limits for residents in agency-supported housing programs. These actions, particularly the rollback of a 30-day eviction notice rule, have immediately triggered a lawsuit from tenant rights and antipoverty groups, who argue the changes will worsen the nation’s housing crisis.
The federal agency announced on February 25 that property owners receiving HUD funding will no longer be required to provide tenants with a 30-day written notice for nonpayment of rent before initiating eviction proceedings. This shift, which goes into effect on March 30, 2026, could enable landlords to terminate leases in as few as five days, depending on specific program rules and state and local regulations. The 30-day notice, initially part of the 2020 CARES Act to stabilize housing during the COVID-19 pandemic, was made permanent in 2024. HUD Secretary Scott Turner stated that this “deregulatory action advances HUD’s mission of cutting red tape, promoting local flexibility, and increasing housing affordability.”
HUD Proposes New Work Mandates and Term Limits
In addition to the expedited eviction process, HUD proposed a new rule on March 2, 2026, to permit public housing agencies (PHAs) to impose work mandates of up to 40 hours per week and term limits as short as two years for non-disabled tenants aged 18 to 61. This proposal, open for public comment until May 1, would apply to residents in public housing or those utilizing Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Vouchers, or Project-Based Rental Assistance. Currently, less than 1% of all public housing authorities enforce work requirements.
Secretary Turner emphasized that these measures aim to “restore dignity and well-being among residents we serve,” framing housing assistance as a “temporary foundation to launch into a life of self-sufficiency.” He also suggested that these changes would “expand access for deserving families on waiting lists,” while maintaining protections for elderly and disabled households. HUD noted that it currently serves only about a quarter of eligible individuals in need of housing support. The recently passed FY2026 appropriations bill provides $77.3 billion to HUD, a $7.2 billion increase from FY2025, though with cuts to public housing balanced by increases in tenant-based rental assistance.
Industry Praises, Advocates File Lawsuit Against Eviction Changes
The rollback of the 30-day notice has been met with applause from various housing industry groups, including the National Apartment Association, the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA), and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC). Kris Cook, CEO of NAHMA, stated that the previous 30-day requirement “placed significant strain on property owners, often compounding arrearages, preventing normal lease enforcement, and threatening the financial stability of affordable housing communities.” Sharon Wilson Géno, president of the NMHC, added that the guidance “rightly returns this set of laws to the state level where it can be appropriately regulated.”
However, tenant rights organizations quickly condemned the move, warning of severe consequences for vulnerable populations. On March 4, the National Housing Law Project and the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (LASEV) filed a lawsuit against HUD in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to delay the implementation of the new policy. Brandon Ballard, a strategic litigation attorney for LASEV, asserted that the 30-Day Notice rule provided “poor and working families a fair chance to understand what they owe, correct errors, or catch up on rent before facing the devastating consequences of eviction.” He cautioned that “weakening these protections will only increase homelessness, destabilize families, and deepen economic inequality.”
Local Governments Weigh Tenant Protections Amid Federal Shifts
While federal policy is tightening, some local governments are moving to strengthen tenant protections. For instance, the Troy City Council in New York is expected to vote on a ‘good cause eviction’ law at its Thursday night meeting. This proposed local law, which passed its finance committee unanimously, aims to protect tenants from arbitrary evictions. New York State adopted a good cause eviction law in 2024, but it requires cities to opt in, with other municipalities like Ithaca and Albany having already done so. This divergence highlights the ongoing national debate over the balance between property owner rights and tenant protections, with different levels of government adopting varied approaches to housing stability.
The recent actions by HUD represent a significant shift in federal housing policy, prioritizing the operational and financial stability of housing providers by streamlining eviction processes and introducing stricter tenant requirements. While proponents argue these changes will enhance program efficiency and promote self-sufficiency, critics fear they will exacerbate housing insecurity and homelessness for millions, underscoring a deepening divide in approaches to affordable housing solutions across the United States.