Summary#
This bill, the Ending Homelessness Act of 2025, would expand rental assistance, fund housing and outreach, change fair housing rules, and adjust programs that support people experiencing homelessness. It would add large new voucher allocations in 2025–2028, create an entitlement to vouchers starting in fiscal year 2029 with phased income eligibility, change rent rules and small-area rent setting, and change how certain public housing rules apply. The bill also adds new funding streams for unmet homelessness needs, outreach, a housing trust fund, technical assistance, and enforcement of fair housing rules. It makes private nonprofit and faith-based organizations eligible for most program funding and gives priority to areas that adopt policies to decriminalize homelessness.
What it means for you#
- Households with very low or extremely low incomes could be eligible for newly allocated or entitled housing choice vouchers, depending on the year and their income.
- Public housing agencies would receive new vouchers and must follow new selection and administrative rules. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development would set rules such as a new administrative fee and encourage regional consortia to administer vouchers.
- Landlords and housing providers would be prohibited from discriminating based on a person’s source of income, including use of housing vouchers or certain benefits.
- Local governments and service providers could apply for new grants for outreach, permanent supportive housing, and emergency unmet-need funding. Priority in some programs is given to areas that adopt policies to decriminalize homelessness.
- Nonprofit and faith-based organizations are explicitly eligible to receive funds and be subgrantees under most parts of the Act.
Expenses#
- Section 2 (voucher expansion): The bill appropriates "the amount necessary" from the Treasury to provide incremental vouchers, renewals, and administrative fees for fiscal years 2025–2028. No specific dollar total is listed in the text.
- Voucher counts specified: 500,000 incremental vouchers in fiscal year 2025 and additional incremental vouchers in 2026–2028 described in the bill as "1,000,000 incremental vouchers in increments of 500,000 in each calendar year from 2026 through 2028." (Text lists these allocation numbers.)
- Section 3 (entitlement): For fiscal year 2029 and after, the bill appropriates "the amount necessary" to fund entitlement vouchers and associated administrative fees. No specific dollar total is listed in the text.
- Fair housing enforcement funding (Sec. 5): $90,000,000 per year for 2025–2034 for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program; $47,000,000 per year for 2025–2034 for the Fair Housing Assistance Program; and $3,000,000 per year for 2025–2027 for a national media campaign.
- Emergency unmet-need grants (Sec. 6 / new Subtitle E): $1,000,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2025–2029, to remain available until expended.
- Outreach grants (Sec. 6 / Sec. 452): $100,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2025–2029, to remain available until expended.
- Housing Trust Fund (Sec. 7): $1,000,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2025–2029, to remain available until expended, credited to the existing Housing Trust Fund.
- Technical assistance (Sec. 8): $20,000,000, to remain available until expended, for HUD technical assistance to align housing and health systems.
- The bill makes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizations permanent (sums as necessary). Where the bill specifies actions but not dollar amounts, the text says funds are to be appropriated as "the amount necessary" or authorized "such sums as may be necessary."
Proponents' View#
No publicly available information.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.