Sponsors (4)
The bill creates a targeted, short-term federal program and funding stream to prevent evictions and provide supportive services, but modest funding levels, time limits, benefit caps, and local administrative barriers mean many households—especially in high-cost or long-term-need situations—will remain unserved.
Extremely- and very low-income households (renters and some homeowners) receive short-term emergency assistance for rent, arrears, utilities, and security deposits to help avoid eviction and homelessness.
Households receiving assistance can also access supportive services (case management, counseling, substance-use and mental health treatment) intended to stabilize them and address underlying barriers to maintaining housing.
Establishes a dedicated HUD emergency housing assistance fund with formula and competitive grants targeted to areas with high shares of severely cost-burdened, extremely low-income people and authorizes predictable federal funding ($100 million per year for FY2027–2031).
The authorized $100 million per year is relatively small compared with national need, likely limiting how many eligible households actually receive aid.
Assistance is time-limited (generally capped at about 8 months for prospective rent/mortgage), which may be insufficient for households with longer-term housing instability or chronic needs.
Limits and Secretary-determined caps on monthly assistance may not cover local rent levels in high-cost areas, reducing the program's effectiveness where housing is most expensive.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a HUD Housing Stabilization Fund to make grants to Continuums of Care for short-term, housing-related emergency assistance to very low- and extremely low-income families.
Official title: To establish a Housing Stabilization Fund to provide emergency housing assistance to extremely low-income renters and homeowners, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 18, 2025 by Ted Lieu · Last progress March 18, 2025
Creates a new Housing Stabilization Fund at HUD to award annual grants (subject to appropriations) to Continuums of Care for short-term emergency housing assistance programs targeted to extremely low- and very low-income families facing housing crises. Eligible uses are limited to housing-related costs and services — such as prospective rent (with per-month caps and limits on months paid), rental arrears, mortgage assistance (also capped), utility arrears, repairs, security deposits, counseling, case management, and certain supportive services — and programs must coordinate with local homeless prioritization/Coordinated Entry systems. Grants are awarded through an application process run by HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs and follow specified eligibility, documentation, geographic, and coordination requirements. Funding is subject to annual appropriation; the Act establishes the grant authority and program design but does not appropriate dollars or specify an effective date.