The federal government just took a bold step to protect American families living in public housing. This week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), under Secretary Scott Turner, launched a nationwide hotline for reporting crime in federally funded housing. This is a big deal. It means that if you live in public housing and see illegal activity—gangs, drug dealing, human trafficking—you now have a direct way to report it. The hotline number is 1-800-347-3735, and there’s also an online form at HUDOIG.gov/hotline.
This move is part of a larger plan led by President Trump to clean up public housing and make it safe again. For too long, taxpayer-funded communities have been plagued by crime and misused by people who are not even supposed to be there. Under Trump’s leadership, HUD is saying enough is enough. American citizens, especially those in low-income communities, deserve to live in peace. They should not have to worry about gangs, drug dealers, or illegal aliens taking over their neighborhoods.
The hotline is just one part of a wider crackdown. Federal task forces are already active in places like Memphis and Washington, DC—two cities that have long struggled with crime. Since October, these task forces have arrested over 3,000 violent fugitives. That includes 12 murder suspects and hundreds of gang members. More than 500 illegal guns have been taken off the streets. In just one weekend this fall, federal agents arrested 93 illegal alien criminals, including a known terrorist and a man wanted for child rape. These are not small-time offenses. These are threats to our communities.
What’s important here is that this crackdown puts Americans first. HUD is making sure that public housing is used for the people it was meant to serve—American citizens and legal residents. Back in March, HUD signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to block housing benefits from going to illegal aliens. That was long overdue. It is simply unfair for someone who broke our laws to get help from our government while American families wait in line.
HUD also changed the rules for FHA-backed loans. Now, only citizens and lawful residents can qualify. That means no more loopholes for people with temporary or illegal status, including DACA recipients. These programs—whether it’s Section 8 housing or federal home loans—were built to support Americans. Not foreign nationals. Not lawbreakers.
President Trump has made it clear: taxpayer money should not reward illegal behavior. Under his executive order, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” over 3,000 local housing authorities must now verify the legal status of their tenants. If they refuse, they could lose funding. That’s how you enforce the law—with action, not empty promises.
Some critics will surely complain. They always do when common sense wins. But let us be honest. Is it wrong to expect law and order in public housing? Is it wrong to say that American families should come before illegal aliens? Of course not. These are basic truths. And finally, we have a federal government that is standing up for them.
Public safety is not just about policing. It’s about setting rules, enforcing them, and making sure the law applies to everyone. That’s what this hotline represents. It gives regular people a voice. If you see something illegal in your community, you can now do something about it. And you can trust that the federal government will act.
We must continue to support these efforts. We must protect our neighborhoods, our families, and our Constitution. HUD’s new crime hotline shows what real leadership looks like—leadership that puts Americans first, honors the rule of law, and defends the rights of citizens. That’s what our Founders intended, and that’s what President Trump is delivering.
