Governments suck

The claim in the post from @OffThePress (shared about 1 day ago) is **largely accurate** based on recent reporting, though the figure is slightly rounded up and the payments are described as "potentially erroneous" or "questionable" rather than definitively proven fraudulent in every case.

According to a New York Post article (widely cited and republished across outlets like AOL, Hannity.com, Fox News, and others in early January 2026), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) conducted a review of fiscal year 2024 rental assistance payments (October 2023–September 2024, during the Biden administration). Key details include:

- **Nationwide**: HUD flagged about **$5.8 billion** in "questionable" rental assistance payments out of roughly **$50 billion** distributed overall (primarily through Tenant-Based Rental Assistance and Project-Based Rental Assistance programs). This included payments to approximately **30,000 deceased tenants** and thousands of possible non-citizens, with issues like unverified eligibility affecting over 200,000 tenants.

- **Minnesota-specific**: The review identified **$84.6 million** in potentially erroneous or ineligible payments to Minnesota housing authorities (across 61 entities). This is the figure most sources report, though some round it to "nearly $85 million" or "up to $84–$85 million."

  - This included up to **$496,000** tied to **509 deceased tenants**.

  - Another **$246,000** went to **20 people** whose Social Security numbers couldn't be verified (likely non-citizens or ineligible).

- Current HUD Secretary Scott Turner (under the Trump administration) criticized the Biden-era HUD for "lack of stewardship" and "failure to implement strong financial controls," stating it amounted to a "massive abuse of taxpayer dollars." He emphasized that deceased recipients appeared in all 50 states, with concentrations in places like New York, California, and D.C.

- The audit notes these are **potentially erroneous** payments—flagged via data matching (e.g., against Treasury death records)—but it did not fully confirm fraud in every instance. Investigations are ongoing, and accountability measures are being discussed.

This fits into broader scrutiny of Minnesota's handling of federal funds, amid separate (but unrelated) large-scale fraud probes into state-run Medicaid programs like Housing Stabilization Services, child care, and others under Gov. Tim Walz—though those involve state-administered programs rather than direct HUD rental assistance.

The post's core facts align with the New York Post's reporting and HUD's findings, which have been echoed by conservative-leaning outlets and officials. No major retractions or debunkings appear in recent coverage. If you're looking for the original New York Post piece or more context on the nationwide audit, let me know!

Henry McClure  
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