The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has rolled out a nationwide hotline for reporting criminal activity in federally funded housing, reinforcing an ongoing federal crackdown on violence, fraud, and unlawful residency in taxpayer-supported communities.
On Monday, November 24, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner unveiled a national crime tip hotline designed to enhance public safety in HUD-funded housing developments. The initiative is intended to combat criminal activity such as gang operations, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and occupancy by ineligible individuals, including sex offenders and those residing in the United States unlawfully.
The hotline — 1-800-347-3735 — will provide a direct channel for residents to report threats and illegal behavior in real time. HUD officials confirmed that online submissions will also be accepted at HUDOIG.gov/hotline. The department emphasized that initial enforcement will concentrate on properties in Memphis and Washington, DC, where federal law enforcement task forces have already recorded thousands of arrests and weapons seizures under initiatives ordered by President Donald Trump this year.
The announcement follows a series of housing reforms carried out by HUD throughout 2025 under Turner’s leadership to ensure American citizens are prioritized in housing policy. These efforts include a Memorandum of Understanding with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, titled “American Housing Programs for American Citizens,” which blocks the allocation of housing funds to illegal aliens. HUD has also revised Federal Housing Administration loan eligibility, requiring proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful status and cutting off access to non-permanent residents, including those with DACA status.
Backed by Trump’s Executive Order “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” HUD has instructed over 3,000 Public Housing Authorities to provide verified data on tenants’ legal status. Non-compliant authorities face funding evaluations and potential enforcement actions. HUD has clarified that its programs, including Section 8 vouchers and FHA-backed mortgages, are designated for U.S. citizens and eligible lawful residents only.
The new hotline supports the Memphis Safe Task Force, launched by President Trump in September. Since October, that task force has arrested 3,151 violent fugitives — including 12 on homicide charges — and seized over 500 illegal firearms. These operations, involving 13 agencies including the FBI and U.S. Marshals, have targeted high-crime areas and removed known gang members and sex offenders from public housing environments.
In a 72-hour period this fall, 93 illegal alien criminals were apprehended, including a gang-affiliated terrorist and a suspect wanted for child rape. Local leaders and federal agencies have characterized the crackdown as a turning point in public safety for one of America’s historically highest-crime cities.
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