by Scott McClallen
House Republican Leader Matt Hall asked Michigan’s Office of the Auditor General to audit a Gov. Gretchen Whitmer administration program that offers up to $500 in monthly rent assistance to certain people for up to 12 months.
The letter from Hall (pictured above, left) of Richland Township urged Auditor General Doug Ringler (pictured above, right) to examine eligibility determination.
In March, a 25-year-old who immigrated to the U.S. illegally and was deported in 2020 returned and killed his 25-year-old partner Ruby Garcia, and left her body on the side of U.S. 131 after stealing her car.
“As Michiganders suffer violent crimes at the hands of illegal aliens, Gov. Whitmer must stop offering to pay the rent of illegal aliens who got caught in the country and then claimed asylum to delay deportation,” Hall said in a statement. “If Whitmer is doing this on her own or if Joe Biden put her up to it, as some of her officials claim, taxpayers deserve to know the truth.”
Documents obtained through records request from The Center Square show the program launched in October 2023 received $1.25 million in 2023 and 2024. The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement gave $204,000 in 2023 and $13,200 in 2024 while the Michigan State Housing Development Authority gave the program $135,600 in 2023 and $900,000 in 2024.
To date, 245 applications have been approved, for 1,240 people. There were 67 applications in 2023, a total of 339 people, and 178 applications in 2024, a total of 901 people.
Hall previously asked for program recipient data but said the Office of Global Michigan hasn’t provided the requested information more than a week after the due date of April 1.
“Michigan taxpayers also deserve answers about the wide loopholes in this broken rent subsidy program,” Hall said. “They need to know whether the governor is actually vetting those who are receiving taxpayer-funded rent assistance to verify their identity and ensure they meet the employment and income requirements, especially since the criteria are already so lax.”
Hall asked the OAG to verify the program’s verification of immigration status and identity, regular reevaluations, benefit termination for ineligible recipients, work status, and if the program follows the federal government’s rules.
Ringler’s office has come under fire for suggesting feedback to lawmakers to prepare an audit of the 2020 election procedure.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi. In 2021, he published a book on technology and privacy. He co-hosts the weekly Michigan in Focus podcast.
