On September 24, 2026, Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced the Eviction Crisis Act (S.5535), which would create new tools to help end the nation’s continuing eviction crisis. Previously introduced in 2019 and 2021, the legislation will improve data to better understand the national eviction crisis and expand support for efforts that reduce preventable evictions and limit the devastation to families when eviction is unavoidable. Among various other promising provisions, the legislation includes the creation of an Emergency Assistance Fund that would provide direct financial assistance and stability services to help the lowest income households overcome an unforeseen economic shock (e.g., broken-down car, unreimbursed medical bill, etc.) that threatens their housing stability. This policy solution is a key priority of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign.
THE OPPORTUNITY STARTS AT HOME CAMPAIGN CALLS ON CONGRESS TO ENACT THIS LEGISLATION QUICKLY.
The Eviction Crisis Act is an important and historic bipartisan effort to tackle the devastating impacts of evictions on individuals and families and create a foundation for cost-effective prevention in the future.
SEND THE LETTER BELOW TO YOUR elected officials URGING THEM TO SUPPORT THE EVICTION CRISIS ACT
BACKGROUND
Limited public resources, combined with rising housing costs, have fueled a crisis of eviction, homelessness, and other types of housing instability, particularly among renters. In 2024, renter cost burdens reached a record high, with 22.7 million households spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. Extremely low-income households are disproportionately impacted, accounting for the majority of renters experiencing severe cost burdens. Among these households, 87% spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and 74% spend more than half of their income on rent and utilities, leaving little for other essential needs.
Federal funding for rental assistance has not kept pace with rising housing costs, leaving millions of low-income renters without the support they need to remain stably housed. As rents eat up a growing share of household income, families have less to spend on essential needs such as food, healthcare, transportation, and childcare. For low income renters, who face the most severe housing cost burdens, the tradeoff is often severe: paying rent may mean going without other basic necessities, while falling behind on rent can put them at risk of eviction and homelessness.
In a typical year, approximately 3.6 million eviction filings are made in courthouses across the United States – that’s nearly seven every minute. These filings threaten an estimated 7.6 million renters annually, including many children. The eviction crisis coincides with the ongoing housing affordability crisis, which most negatively impacts the lowest income people.
Most low-income renter households spend at least half of their income on housing, leaving little or no margin for unexpected expenses. A car repair, an unreimbursed medical bill, or a temporary loss of income can quickly push a family from financial stability into housing instability. By providing flexible, short-term assistance during these moments of crisis, the legislation’s Emergency Assistance Program could help millions of low-income households remain safely housed, prevent avoidable evictions, and reduce economic costs of homelessness.
The Eviction Crisis Act of 2026 will:
Improve Data and Analysis on Evictions
- Creates a national database to standardize data and track evictions, in order to better inform policy decisions.
- Establishes a Federal Advisory Committee on Eviction Research to make recommendations related to data collection, as well as policies and practices that can prevent evictions or mitigate their consequences.
- Allocates funding for a comprehensive study to track evictions, analyze landlord-tenant law, and assess varying factors in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Reduce Preventable Evictions and Mitigate Eviction’s Consequences
Co-invest in state and local government programs:
- Creates a program to fund state and local governments expanding the use of eviction diversion programs and landlord-tenant community courts, with social services representatives available to assist tenants, which help both tenants and landlords avoid the high cost of eviction.
- Establishes an Emergency Assistance Fund to provide financial assistance as well as housing stability-related services to eviction-vulnerable tenants.
Support increased legal representation for tenants:
- Expresses support for substantially increasing funding for the Legal Services Corporation, a public-private partnership that provides legal services to low-income Americans.
Improve Information on Tenant Screening Reports
- Requires consumer reporting agencies to provide consumers with tenant screening reports when they are requested as part of a rental application process, so tenants can contest and correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- When a court rules in favor of a tenant in an eviction proceeding, requires those judgments and eviction filings related to that proceeding to be removed from tenant screening reports, so winning in court no longer haunts future applications.
Learn more about the Eviction Crisis Act here.
TAKE ACTION!
Please send the letter below to your federal elected officials urging them to support the Eviction Crisis Act.
SEND THE CAMPAIGN’S LETTER TO CONGRESS
Dear Congress,
The Eviction Crisis Act (S.5535), introduced by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Todd Young (R-IN), would create new tools to help end the nation’s ongoing eviction crisis. The legislation will improve data to better understand the national eviction crisis and expand support for efforts that reduce preventable evictions and limit the devastation to families when eviction is unavoidable. Among various other promising provisions, the legislation includes the creation of an Emergency Assistance Fund that would provide direct financial assistance and stability services to help the lowest income households overcome an unforeseen economic shock (e.g., broken-down car, unreimbursed medical bill, etc.) that threatens their housing stability.
The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign calls on Congress to support this legislation. The Eviction Crisis Act is an important and historic bipartisan effort to tackle the devastating impacts of evictions on individuals and families and create a foundation for effective prevention in the future.
Limited public resources, combined with rising housing costs, have fueled a crisis of eviction, homelessness, and other types of housing instability, particularly among renters. In 2024, renter cost burdens reached a record high, with 22.7 million households spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. Extremely low-income households are disproportionately impacted, accounting for the majority of renters experiencing severe cost burdens. Among these households, 87% spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and 74% spend more than half of their income on rent and utilities, leaving little for other essential needs.
Federal funding for rental assistance has not kept pace with rising housing costs, leaving millions of low-income renters without the support they need to remain stably housed. As rents eat up a growing share of household income, families have less to spend on essential needs such as food, healthcare, transportation, and childcare. For low income renters, who face the most severe housing cost burdens, the tradeoff is often severe: paying rent may mean going without other basic necessities, while falling behind on rent can put them at risk of eviction and homelessness.
In a typical year, approximately 3.6 million eviction filings are made in courthouses across the United States – that’s nearly seven every minute. These filings threaten an estimated 7.6 million renters annually, including many children. The eviction crisis coincides with the ongoing housing affordability crisis, which most negatively impacts the lowest income people.
Most low-income renter households spend at least half of their income on housing, leaving little or no margin for unexpected expenses. A car repair, an unreimbursed medical bill, or a temporary loss of income can quickly push a family from financial stability into housing instability. By providing flexible, short-term assistance during these moments of crisis, the legislation’s Emergency Assistance Program could help millions of low-income households remain safely housed, prevent avoidable evictions, and reduce economic costs of homelessness.
The Eviction Crisis Act of 2026 will:
Improve Data and Analysis on Evictions
- Creates a national database to standardize data and track evictions, in order to better inform policy decisions.
- Establishes a Federal Advisory Committee on Eviction Research to make recommendations related to data collection, as well as policies and practices that can prevent evictions or mitigate their consequences.
- Allocates funding for a comprehensive study to track evictions, analyze landlord-tenant law, and assess varying factors in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Reduce Preventable Evictions and Mitigate Eviction’s Consequences
Co-invest in state and local government programs:
- Creates a program to fund state and local governments expanding the use of eviction diversion programs and landlord-tenant community courts, with social services representatives available to assist tenants, which help both tenants and landlords avoid the high cost of eviction.
- Establishes an Emergency Assistance Fund to provide financial assistance as well as housing stability-related services to eviction-vulnerable tenants.
Support increased legal representation for tenants:
- Expresses support for substantially increasing funding for the Legal Services Corporation, a public-private partnership that provides legal services to low-income Americans.
Improve Information on Tenant Screening Reports
- Requires consumer reporting agencies to provide consumers with tenant screening reports when they are requested as part of a rental application process, so tenants can contest and correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- When a court rules in favor of a tenant in an eviction proceeding, requires those judgments and eviction filings related to that proceeding to be removed from tenant screening reports, so winning in court no longer haunts future applications.
For more information about the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign and its advocates, please see: www.opportunityhome.org
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