S 5535: Eviction Crisis Act of 2026

S 5535 in plain English: The Eviction Crisis Act of 2026 would authorize $3,000,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to address evictions in the United States. The bill sets aside specific portions of those funds for program evaluation and fair housing activities.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a national database tracking evictions across the United States, and to address related aspects of the eviction process such as legal aid and court resources.

Key points

• Authorizes $3 billion per year from 2027 through 2031 to address the eviction crisis
• Reserves $9,600,000 from each appropriation for activities under fair housing titles I and VIII
• Limits up to $10,000,000 for a rigorous program evaluation in fiscal year 2027

Arguments supporters make

• More than 3 million evictions are filed each year and there is no consistent national data — a central database would help policymakers understand the problem and design effective solutions
• Expanding legal aid and landlord-tenant courts could help both sides: tenants could avoid homelessness and landlords could recover costs without expensive litigation
• Tracking eviction records would help identify errors in tenant screening reports that unfairly block people from finding housing, breaking a cycle of poverty

Arguments opponents make

• Building and maintaining a national evictions database and expanding legal aid funding would cost taxpayers significant money, and the bill does not specify how those costs would be covered
• Collecting detailed eviction data at the federal level raises privacy concerns for both tenants and landlords, and a federal database may duplicate efforts already underway in many states
• Increased legal representation for tenants could slow or complicate eviction proceedings for landlords with legitimate claims, making it harder and more expensive to recover property from non-paying tenants

Tradeoffs

Creating a national evictions database and expanding legal aid may give policymakers better information and give tenants fairer access to the legal system, but it comes at a financial cost to the federal government and may add complexity and delay for landlords pursuing valid eviction claims.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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