A New Bedford family is said to be living in public housing after an audit revealed that their annual income is reportedly more than $212,000 a year.

The family has been living with housing assistance for more than a decade and is only paying $525 a month in rent.

The audit also confirmed that there are 25,000 families in the United States that are earning incomes that are considered "too high" to qualify for public housing.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than a half million poor families are sitting on the wait-list while others continue to abuse government assistance.

In Massachusetts, there are requirements families must meet in order to gain assistance. The problem develops when families significantly improve their financial standing but don't move out of public housing which prevents others from taking advantage of housing assistance.

Additional reporting by Victoria Meneses

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