[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10103 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10103
To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a
grant program to award grants to units of general local government to
establish or expand eviction diversion programs, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 13, 2026
Ms. Scanlon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a
grant program to award grants to units of general local government to
establish or expand eviction diversion programs, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Stable Homes Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT EVICTION DIVERSION
PROGRAMS.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development (hereafter referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall
establish a pilot program to provide grants to eligible entities to
fund the establishment or expansion of pre-filing eviction diversion
programs.
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, an
entity shall be a unit of general local government.
(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that is awarded a grant under
this section shall use such grant amounts to establish or expand an
eviction diversion program.
(d) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may provide technical
assistance to eligible entities that are awarded a grant under this
section, including by issuing model forms to standardize a landlord
notice to a tenant with respect to a tenant's right to engage in an
eviction diversion program to ensure accessibility by tenants.
(e) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter until
the date described in subsection (f), an eligible entity that
is awarded grant under this section shall submit to the
Secretary a report that includes--
(A) the number of eviction diversion program cases
filed;
(B) the average cost for each case;
(C) the types of landlords in each case;
(D) the percentage of landlords and tenants
represented by legal counsel in each case;
(E) the aggregated demographic data of tenants
participating in the eviction diversion program,
including data on income range, age, racial and ethnic
identity, and urban, suburban, and rural residency; and
(F) any other information as the Secretary may
require.
(2) Summary to congress.--Not later than 3 months after
receiving the annual reports under paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Financial Services of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs of the Senate a report that summarizes such
reports.
(3) Pilot program period reports.--Not less frequently than
twice between the date of the enactment of this section and the
termination date described in subsection (f), the Inspector
General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
shall complete an assessment of the implementation and
operation of the pilot program under this section, to ensure
the fair and legitimate use of such program.
(f) Duration and Expiration.--The pilot program under this section
shall terminate on December 31, 2030.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $300,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
(h) Eviction Diversion Program Defined.--In this section, the term
``eviction diversion program'' means a program that includes the
following attributes with respect to residential rental housing within
the jurisdiction of the unit of general local government:
(1) A requirement that landlords notify tenants in writing,
by hand delivery and by mail with proof of mailing, of the
tenant's right to engage in an eviction diversion program and
how to exercise such rights. The notice shall explain that
opting to participate in an eviction diversion program does not
waive any of the tenant's legal rights, including the right to
go to trial before a judge and jury if the diversion program is
unsuccessful in resolving the dispute.
(2) A requirement that if the tenant chooses to participate
in the eviction diversion program, that landlords and tenants
participate in the program, in good faith, for a minimum of 30
days before the landlord initiates any formal eviction
proceedings.
(3) Dispute resolution procedures between the landlord and
tenant with respect to a potential eviction, including--
(A) direct rental assistance or the connection to
rental assistance;
(B) mediation services;
(C) assigning a housing counselor to the tenant;
and
(D) any other assistance to facilitate dispute
resolution between the landlord and tenant.
(4) An exception to participation in the program for
evictions necessary to prevent an imminent threat of physical
harm.
(5) In the case that the landlord does not comply with any
requirement of the program, the ability of the tenant to assert
such noncompliance as a defense in any related eviction court
proceeding.
(6) In the case that the landlord is represented by legal
counsel, the tenant has a right to counsel at no cost if their
income is equal to or less than 200 percent of the Federal
poverty line before the diversion process can occur.
<all>