Sponsors (5)
The bill funds and expands right-to-counsel for low-income tenants—likely reducing evictions and building local legal capacity—while increasing federal spending and leaving risks of uneven coverage and local administrative costs.
Low-income tenants (≤200% FPL) gain access to free legal representation in eviction or housing-subsidy-termination proceedings, increasing their ability to defend housing stability.
State and local governments receive dedicated grant funding ($100M/year, FY2026–2030) to build legal services capacity, supporting attorney recruitment, training, and program implementation.
Low-income tenants in jurisdictions with tenant-protective laws may face fewer evictions because the program prioritizes notice periods, diversion programs, and limits on eviction causes.
Low-income tenants in non-prioritized or under-resourced jurisdictions may still lack counsel because grant priorities and uneven implementation can leave coverage gaps.
All taxpayers bear the federal cost of the program (about $100M/year for FY2026–2030), increasing federal spending commitments.
State and local governments may incur administrative burdens and potential matching or implementation costs to enact and operate right-to-counsel programs even when grant funding is available.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a HUD grant program funding $100M/year (FY2026–FY2030) to help states, localities, and tribes provide free legal counsel to low‑income tenants in eviction or subsidy termination cases.
Introduced July 24, 2025 by Cory Anthony Booker · Last progress July 24, 2025
Provides federal funding to help states, local governments, and tribal governments give free lawyers to low‑income renters facing eviction or loss of housing subsidies. It creates a grant program at HUD with $100 million per year for FY2026–FY2030 to support jurisdictions that enact or operate right‑to‑counsel programs for tenants with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty line.