• Applicants for low-income public housing must have qualifying immigration status.apartment cluster image by Aaron Kohr from Fotolia.com
  
  Green card holders, also known as legal permanent residents, should learn about their housing rights under U.S. immigration law. Immigrant status requirements vary depending on whether a family needs to apply for public housing benefits or can afford to live in private housing. Families with questions about their rights should confer with an immigration attorney who can tell them about the relevant housing laws.
  
  

Federal Eligibility for Public Housing

• U.S. immigration law limits which immigrants qualify for public housing benefits. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), only "qualified aliens" can receive federal public benefits, which include housing. HHS includes legal permanent residents as qualified aliens. Nonimmigrants legally present in the United States for visits or temporary purposes cannot receive federal public benefits. Undocumented individuals similarly do not qualify.
  
  

Relevant Federal Public Housing Programs

• Green card holders qualify for low-income public housing administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through individual U.S. states. Applicants for public housing must show eligible immigration status as part of the application process. Green card holders can also apply for federal housing choice vouchers to assist them with renting suitable housing---voucher applicants must show eligible immigration status. Applicants can meet the immigration status requirement for federal housing benefits by showing proof of legal permanent residence.
  
  

Housing Benefits and Public Charge Determination

• Green card holders who receive certain types of public benefits must be careful if they plan to travel outside of the United States for over 6 months. Receiving public benefits could lead to a public charge determination, which may affect whether a legal permanent resident can reenter the United States after more than 6 months away. However, public housing is considered a "non-cash" benefit---therefore, eligible legal immigrants can generally receive public housing without worrying about becoming a public charge under U.S. immigration law.
  
  

Private Housing Requirements

• Legal permanent residents who do not need housing assistance will find private housing as renters or homeowners. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, landlords can ask potential tenants to provide social security numbers or green cards. However, landlords cannot reject tenants solely based on the applicants' race, color or country of origin. Rental applicants who believe that they have suffered landlord discrimination based on race or country of origin can complain to HUD.