H.R. 4872 — Ending Homelessness Act of 2025

This section designates the Act as the "Ending Homelessness Act of 2025" and sets forth its table of contents.

This section appropriates, for FY2025 through 2028, amounts necessary to fund (1) 500,000 incremental Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) allocated in FY2025, (2) 1,000,000 incremental HCVs allocated in increments of 500,000 in each calendar year from 2026 through 2028, (3) annual renewals of such vouchers, and (4) administrative fees for public housing agencies. (The HCV program provides tenant-based rental assistance under section 8(o) of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, enabling eligible low-income families to lease privately owned housing.) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall allocate the incremental HCVs to public housing agencies pursuant to the formula in section 213(d) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, establishing selection criteria by Federal Register notice that prioritize the housing needs of families eligible under this section—those initially having incomes not exceeding 50% of the maximum extremely low-income limit or being extremely low-income families including a Supplemental Security Income recipient—and severe housing hardships such as homelessness, overcrowding, or evictions.

This section establishes an entitlement to tenant-based rental assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (i.e., Housing Choice Vouchers) for qualified low-income families starting in FY2029, with mandatory appropriations for vouchers and administrative fees. (As background, the Housing Choice Voucher program enables eligible families to rent private-market housing by subsidizing a portion of their rent.) The section defines qualified families as follows: (1) in FY2029, families meeting requirements under section 2(b) of this Act; (2) in FY2030, such families or those with incomes not exceeding 75% of the extremely low-income limit; (3) in FY2031, extremely low-income families; (4) in FY2032, very low-income families; and (5) in FY2033 and thereafter, low-income families. Families initially assisted under this section or section 2 continue to receive assistance regardless of subsequent income changes. Additionally, the section (1) repeals the income targeting requirement of section 16(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 effective October 1, 2030 (previously requiring public housing agencies to assist extremely low-income families for at least 75% of new admissions); (2) requires use of small area fair market rents for voucher subsidy calculations in most metropolitan areas starting FY2025, except where vacancy rates are 4% or less; (3) authorizes project-basing of vouchers without the standard 25% cap on project-based units (though units count toward an agency's overall authorization limit) and with tenant opt-out rights; (4) permits voucher use for security deposits and related fees, subject to limits and recapture upon move-out; and (5) directs a new administrative fee structure starting FY2025 that accounts for local costs and incentivizes voucher success and housing choice. The section further encourages regional public housing agency consortia for administration and authorizes agency designations where needed.

This section limits ineligibility requirements for federally assisted housing stemming from drug-related evictions (three-year ban, waivable via rehabilitation program or changed circumstances), current or patterned illegal drug use, alcohol abuse that may interfere with other residents' health, safety, or peaceful enjoyment (considering rehabilitation), and other criminal activity—currently codified at 42 U.S.C. 13661 and related provisions—to "covered federally assisted housing," excluding housing specified in section 579(a)(2)(B) of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998. The section further exempts applicants for, and families assisted under, the entitlement program for housing choice vouchers under section 3 of the Ending Homelessness Act of 2025 from such requirements under specified provisions of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (effective October 1, 2027) and the 1998 Act. (Thus, public housing agencies and owners retain screening authority for other programs but not for the exempted voucher entitlement.)

This section prohibits discrimination in housing based on source of income under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by (1) defining "source of income" to include tenant- or project-based Section 8 housing vouchers (42 U.S.C. 1437f), other federal, state, or local rental or homeownership assistance, Social Security or SSI benefits, Railroad Retirement Act benefits, court-ordered support payments, payments from trusts or relatives, and other specified sources; and (2) inserting "source of income" as a protected characteristic alongside race, color, religion, sex, familial status, handicap, and national origin in FHA prohibitions applicable to housing providers (42 U.S.C. 3604), financial institutions (42 U.S.C. 3605), real estate professionals (42 U.S.C. 3606), and related enforcement provisions (42 U.S.C. 3608, 3610). The section further (3) authorizes preferences for veterans or veteran status notwithstanding FHA prohibitions (42 U.S.C. 3607); (4) extends certification of fair housing enforcement organizations for 40 months after enactment (with possible six-month extensions for exceptional circumstances); (5) includes source of income in prohibitions against intimidation (42 U.S.C. 3631); and (6) authorizes appropriations of $90 million annually for FY2025 through 2034 for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (42 U.S.C. 3616a), $47 million annually for FY2025 through 2034 for the Fair Housing Assistance Program, and $3 million annually for FY2025 through 2027 for a Department of Housing and Urban Development national media campaign on fair housing rights.

This section redesignates the rural housing stability grant program (42 U.S.C. 11408) as section 441 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the FMHA inventory provision for homeless housing (42 U.S.C. 11408a) as section 442, and establishes a new emergency funding program by appropriating $1 billion annually for FY2025 through 2029—to remain available until expended—for formula grants to collaborative applicants (i.e., Continuum of Care programs under section 402(f)) that address unmet homeless needs in high-need jurisdictions. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development must allocate funds using a formula, developed in consultation with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and finalized within six months of enactment, that incorporates data on local poverty rates, affordable housing shortages for low-income households, overcrowded units, unsheltered and chronically homeless individuals, and other factors; the formula prioritizes collaborative applicants whose local governments have adopted pro-housing zoning policies (e.g., leveraging private-sector affordable units reserved for 15 years) and policies decriminalizing homelessness, without rewarding elimination of fair wage, health/safety, fair housing, environmental, resiliency, or anti-displacement protections. Grant recipients may use funds only for eligible activities under sections 415 (supportive housing), 423 (rapid re-housing), or 441(b) (rural stability grants); must dedicate at least 75% to permanent supportive housing (including capital costs, rental subsidies, and services) unless exempted due to functional elimination of chronic homelessness or sufficient PSH development; are limited to 5% for administrative costs; and must apply a Housing First approach. Expiring leases or rental assistance funded under this program qualify for renewal under section 429, and annual reports to Congress are required (text cuts off at "Not later than the expiration of").

This section appropriates $1 billion annually for FY2025 through FY2029 to the Housing Trust Fund (HTF), which provides formula grants to states to increase and preserve rental housing and homeownership for extremely low-income (below 30% of area median income) and very low-income families. (1) It requires priority occupancy for homeless persons and households (as defined in the McKinney-Vento Act) in HTF-assisted dwelling units during the first five fiscal years of such funding; and (2) amends HTF requirements to cap tenant rent contributions at 30% of adjusted income in all rental housing units (adding this universal limit alongside the existing requirement that at least 75% of units serve extremely low-income families at affordable rents), with HUD regulations required within 90 days of enactment.

This section provides $20 million to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to remain available until expended, for technical assistance under section 405(b) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11361(b)) to integrate and coordinate McKinney-Vento homeless assistance with federally funded health care programs, in collaboration with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. In allocating the funds, HUD must (1) assist states and localities in integrating Medicaid programs, behavioral health providers, and housing providers to create supportive housing opportunities; and (2) engage state Medicaid directors, governors, state housing and homelessness agencies, other relevant state offices, and local government entities to increase states' use of Medicaid to finance supportive services for homeless persons. HUD must prioritize (1) states and localities with the highest numbers of chronically homeless persons; and (2) localities that have adopted policies—such as through zoning and regulation—leveraging private sector participation to provide affordable housing for low-, very low-, and extremely low-income households (as defined by HUD) for a minimum of 15 years, with HUD to establish by regulation the evaluation process and manner while ensuring no incentives for undermining zoning or other regulations protecting fair wages, building health and safety, fair housing, environmental protections, resiliency standards, or prevention of tenant displacement (or other public-interest requirements determined by HUD).

This section revises the authorization of appropriations for grants under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (i.e., HUD programs providing shelter, rapid re-housing, supportive services, and other assistance to homeless individuals and families) to such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year (previously, $2.2 billion for FY2010 and such sums as necessary for FY2011).

This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to ensure that private nonprofit organizations (as defined in section 401 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360)), including faith-based organizations, that qualify as eligible entities under that section are eligible for assistance made available or authorized by this Act or its amendments (excluding assistance under section 452 of such Act, as added by section 3 of this Act) and may serve as subgrantees of such assistance.

This section prohibits discrimination against faith-based organizations—or entities that may be faith-based—in determining eligibility for assistance made available by, amendments made by, or appropriations authorized by this Act.

This section makes conforming amendments to the table of sections in section 101(b) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act by (1) renaming the title II entry to “United States Interagency Council on Homelessness” (from “Interagency Council on the Homeless”); (2) striking the entry for section 209; (3) renumbering the entry for section 491 to section 441; (4) renumbering the entry for section 492 to section 442; and (5) inserting entries for a new Subtitle E—Emergency Funding To Address Unmet Need (secs. 451–452) before title V.

This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in selecting entities to receive amounts authorized to be appropriated or made available by this Act, to prioritize those serving areas where local governments have adopted policies that decriminalize homelessness.