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The Rural Housing Service published a proposed rule (68 FR 32872) on June 2, 2003, to streamline and consolidate 14 regulations into 7 CFR 3560, which sets forth requirements, policies, and procedures for originating, processing, and servicing Rural Development's Multi-Family Housing (MFH) direct loans and grants. The programs covered by this part are authorized by title V of the Housing Act of 1949. The Center for Immigration Studies and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimated in 2009 that the illegal population was 10.96 percent of the total population. An interim rule was published on November 26, 2004 (69 FR 69032-69176); to implement those changes with an effective date of February 24, 2005. The Agency published in the Federal Register on February 22, 2005 (70 FR 8503), to indefinitely delay the effective date of specific words in quotes in the following specific sections: sections 3560.152(a)(1) "Be a United States citizen or qualified alien, and"; 3560.154(a)(7) ". . . and a certification that the applicant is a U.S. citizen or a qualified alien as defined in section 3560.11 . . ."; 3560.156(c)(12) ". . . their citizenship status, . . ."; and 3560.254(c)(3) "Whose head of the household is a U.S. citizen or a legal alien as defined in section 3560.11." The interim final rule contained requirements regarding citizenship eligibility about which the Agency received several comments. The comments suggested that Agency procedures unnecessarily imposed more requirements than those required under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) procedures for similar programs. RHS plans to publish a proposed rule to implement the citizenship requirements and to harmonize RHS's requirements with those currently established by HUD.