The bill would establish a competitive grant program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments. Grantees could help very low-income households facing a short-term crisis and housing instability, including households experiencing homelessness.

Assistance could pay for rent and past-due rent, utilities, application fees, security deposits, relocation costs, and other housing-related expenses. Up to 15 percent of grant awards could be used for services such as legal aid, housing counseling, case management, and help finding a stable home.

Justice Department grants would support eviction diversion programs and landlord-tenant community courts. These programs could connect tenants with assistance to catch up on rent or move to a stable home, while giving landlords an alternative to a costly court process. The bill preserves the rights of tenants and landlords to go to a traditional court.

The bill would direct HUD to establish a national eviction database to better track filings, case outcomes, and removals. It would also establish a Committee on Eviction Research and require federal study of the causes and consequences of eviction.

The database would include privacy and security protections. Its information could not be used to determine eligibility for government programs.

When a consumer reporting agency supplies a report to evaluate a rental application, the bill would require it to give the applicant a copy. The bill would also bar eviction judgments in a tenant’s favor, and the related cases, from appearing in consumer credit reports.

The Eviction Crisis Act is supported by a broad range of national organizations, including the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), National League of Cities, National Education Association, Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign, National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Association of Social Workers, Children’s HealthWatch, Community Economic Defense Project, National Association of Social Workers, Food Research & Action Center, BPC Action, Family Promise, and National Housing Law Project. 

The following state and local organizations have endorsed the Eviction Crisis Act: Community Economic Defense Project, Colorado Center on Law and Policy, Family Promise of Greater Denver, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, and Prosperity Indiana.

“Solving America’s housing and homelessness crisis must begin with addressing the forces that drive displacement. Getting people into homes they don’t yet have is urgent and critical, but we cannot focus only on pulling families out of homelessness; we must keep them from losing their homes in the first place. The Eviction Crisis Act recognizes that eviction prevention must be made as central a national priority as housing production, stepping in before a temporary setback becomes a life-altering disruption and breaking the momentum of loss before it hardens into permanence,” – Brian Goldstone, Journalist and Pulitzer Prize Winning Author of There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America.

“Eviction isn’t just a consequence of poverty; it’s a cause of poverty. Yet we allow millions of Americans to face the threat of eviction each year. Families with children are at particularly high risk of eviction. Many evicted families lose their home and possessions, often falling into homelessness. Research shows that eviction thwarts economic mobility and is linked to long-term negative health outcomes. Passing the Eviction Crisis Act would be a big step forward, deepening our understanding of the problem and preventing families from the devastating consequences of displacement. Everyone needs a safe and affordable home. I commend Senators Bennet and Young for their efforts and look forward to working with them to pass this bill into law,” – Matthew Desmond, Scholar and Pulitzer Prize Winning Author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.

“For millions of households, one broken-down car, one unexpected medical bill, or a reduction in work hours could result in an eviction. The ‘Eviction Crisis Act,’ developed and advanced by NLIHC’s Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, would help to ensure that renters will not lose their homes because of a single unforeseen expense. No one should have to face losing their home because of one temporary financial setback. I applaud Senators Michael Bennet and Todd Young for their leadership in introducing this important legislation and advancing meaningful solutions to the national housing crisis. I urge Congress to pass this bill quickly.” – Renee M. Willis, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition

“When a family faces eviction, they not only face losing their housing – they face losing the foundation that makes every other opportunity possible. Stable housing is linked to healthy lives, educational success, economic mobility, and strong communities. The Eviction Crisis Act, championed by the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign and backed by substantial research, will ensure that we have thriving communities for everyone from the youngest to the eldest in our neighborhoods.” – Chantelle Wilkinson, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Campaigns, National Low Income Housing Coalition

“BPC Action commends Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Todd Young (R-IN) for leading the Eviction Crisis Act, which would create an emergency assistance program for at-risk households, establish a national evictions database, and fund community courts and diversion programs. For too many families, unexpected hardship—such as job loss or medical expenses—makes rent unaffordable, triggering homelessness and poverty cycles. This legislation is a necessary investment to stabilize housing and economic opportunity, and we look forward to working with Congress to enact it,”– Michele Stockwell, President, Bipartisan Policy Center Action.

“We’re honored to continue this critically important work with Senator Bennet to support low-income renters who are struggling with rising housing costs due to inflation, lack of housing supply, and a failure to invest in households with the greatest need. Homelessness doesn’t happen in a vacuum but is a direct result of housing instability due to rising housing costs and the lack of support for low-income households who are struggling every day to make ends meet. Making investments like the ones proposed by the Eviction Crisis Act will not only help our most marginalized households stay stably housed, it’s a better use of taxpayer resources than expensive spending demanded by the emergency services required to address homelessness.” – Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

“The new version of the Eviction Crisis Act will help communities prevent homelessness and provide important data that will take that work further in coming years. The bill will mean older adults, families with children, young people, people with disabilities, and others at the greatest risk will have more stable housing, an essential element for addressing other issues. We are grateful to Representative Bennet for his longstanding commitment to better housing for Americans.” – Ann Oliva, Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance to End Homelessness

“The Eviction Crisis Act will play a critical role in supporting rent-burdened tenants struggling to pay their bills. We applaud Senator Bennet’s continued efforts to pass this important legislation. It has the potential to help our clients, many of whom are on the brink of eviction, stay in their homes.” – Zach Neumann Co-Founder and CEO, Community Economic Defense Project

“Colorado recorded over 47,000 eviction filings in 2024, a 20 percent increase from the prior year. Each filing puts a household’s housing and economic security at risk, with consequences that can disrupt employment, children’s education, health, and community ties. Too many tenants facing eviction in Colorado, and across the country, cannot access timely financial or legal help. Most must navigate a complex court process on their own. The Eviction Crisis Act would provide communities with practical tools to prevent avoidable displacement. It would interrupt the cycles of poverty that eviction reinforces, including emergency assistance, grants for landlord-tenant community courts, and data to help policymakers understand the scale of the crisis and identify effective interventions. By reducing the harms caused by eviction, this bipartisan legislation would allow Colorado families to continue on the path toward economic security. Colorado Center on Law and Policy thanks Senators Bennet and Young for their leadership and urges Congress to enact the Eviction Crisis Act.” – Charles Brennan, Income and Housing Policy Director, Colorado Center on Law and Policy

“In a given year, as many as 3 million eviction notices are issued nationally. Such numbers leave little doubt that there is an eviction crisis in America. For that reason, passing the Eviction Crisis Act of 2026 is essential for staving off individual and family homelessness, and instability — which disproportionately impacts low-income families and families of color.” – Mel Wilson, Senior Policy Advisor, National Association of Social Workers

“Every eviction prevented is a family spared the trauma and instability that can have lasting effects on children. At Family Promise, the national leader advancing proven community-based solutions to prevent and end family homelessness, we see every day that early interventions, including eviction prevention, emergency financial assistance, and housing stabilization services, help keep families and children safely housed and prevent crises before they begin. We applaud Senator Bennet and Senator Young for reintroducing the bipartisan Eviction Crisis Act, which would expand access to proven supports, strengthen eviction data, and improve access to legal and social services for families facing housing instability. We look forward to working with Congress to advance solutions that help more children and families remain safely housed.” – Carolyn Gordon, Chief Network and Program Officer, Family Promise 

“Children in families that have experienced eviction are more likely to be in poor health, be at risk for developmental delays, have mothers who report depression, and live in households struggling with food insecurity. These harms can occur whether a family is removed through a formal court process or forced from their home outside the legal system. The reintroduction of the Eviction Crisis Act gives Congress a critical opportunity to help families weather a short-term financial crisis before it becomes a cascade of displacement and harm. The Act would also provide comprehensive data policymakers need to track the eviction crisis’ scope, including disparities, to inform evidence-based policymaking.” – Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, PhD, MPH, Executive Director, Children’s HealthWatch

“On the receiving end of any eviction notice is a household facing a crisis, one that threatens to destabilize them physically, emotionally, and financially. We know that eviction can be a very short and narrow road to homelessness. We are grateful to see the Eviction Crisis Act back under consideration in the Senate as the data tells us that it is as necessary now as it was five years ago.” – Aspen Clemons, Executive Director, Prosperity Indiana