On September 24, 2026, Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced the Eviction Crisis Act (S. 5535). The major provision of the bill, if enacted, would create a competitive grant program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide funding to households at or below 50% of Area Median Income experiencing a short-term crisis that is impacting their housing stability. This emergency assistance program would cover a variety of costs associated with housing instability, including rent and rent arrears, utilities and utility arrears, application fees, security deposits, and relocation costs.

The legislation would also create grants for eviction-diversion efforts at the Department of Justice (DOJ), a national evictions database maintained by HUD, a Committee on Eviction Research to advise the Secretary of HUD, tenant access to screening reports, and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on “the factors that contribute to evictions” compared across different types of places and protected classes.

LeadingAge is working with our members to determine our position on the bill.