H.R. 8185 — HELP Act of 2026

This section requires each state and local entity receiving covered housing assistance (i.e., federal rental assistance programs administered by HUD, such as Section 8 vouchers and public housing) to submit annual reports to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on evictions from assisted dwelling units during the prior year. The reports must detail, for each evicted household, the eviction reasons (including rent arrearages and tenant contributions), eviction order date, unit address, legal representation (if available), vacate notice period (if available), and writ issuance; and, for each individual, name, prior-year income (if available), disability status, demographics (race, ethnicity, age, gender), foster care history, serious health or mental illness, prior homelessness, and criminal record (if available). HUD must establish data retention limits, privacy and security requirements (including name redaction with anonymous identifiers), a database to collect and maintain the information (disaggregated by census tract/block, income, race, gender, disability, and other Fair Housing Act protected classes), and protections against disclosing personally identifiable information (except full unredacted data to academic institutions for eviction and civil rights research).

This section establishes a competitive grant program under which the Secretary awards grants to nonprofit and government entities to provide free legal assistance—including pretrial, trial, post-trial activities, and alternative dispute resolution—to low-income tenants at risk of or subject to eviction. In awarding grants, the Secretary must prioritize entities that (1) have a marketing strategy targeting high-eviction areas, (2) have experience providing no-cost legal aid to low-income individuals including those with limited English proficiency or disabilities, and (3) have sufficient administrative capacity; and must ensure, to the extent practicable, that the proportion of rural tenants served matches their overall proportion among tenants. The section authorizes appropriations of such sums as needed for the grants and for the Emergency Solutions Grants program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (i.e., rapid rehousing, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and related services), restricted to tenant legal counsel in eviction proceedings and associated court fees (excluding landlord attorney fees).

This section prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including in consumer reports (1) any eviction, or information related to an eviction or eviction proceeding, of a consumer from a rental dwelling and (2) any adverse item of information related to rent or utility arrears. The prohibitions apply to consumer reports issued on or after the date of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), not later than one year after enactment, to issue rules requiring owners of covered federally assisted rental dwelling units (i.e., units receiving federal rental assistance such as through public housing or Section 8 programs) to provide tenants with written information—(1) annually, on owner eviction rights and responsibilities and local eviction assistance organizations and resources; (2) upon any eviction notice, stating the eviction reason(s); and (3) clarifying in all such notices that tenant rights and responsibilities are subject to state and local law. This section further directs the Secretary, not later than one year after enactment, to establish a hotline for eviction-related assistance to tenants of such units, including guidance to ensure the hotline is visible and promoted; accessible in English and other languages with disability accommodations; and adequately staffed to provide resource referrals (e.g., legal aid) and information on tenant rights and responsibilities.

This section defines terms used in the Act, including (1) "assistance" as any grant, loan, subsidy, contract, or other financial assistance, excluding loan insurance or guarantees; (2) "covered federally assisted rental dwelling unit" as a rental unit for which assistance is provided under specified HUD programs (e.g., supportive housing for the elderly under Section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 [12 U.S.C. 1701q]) or on properties with federally backed mortgages; (3) "covered housing" as units assisted under specified HUD rental assistance programs (e.g., Section 202); (4) "covered housing assistance" as assistance under those programs; (5) "legal counsel" as full attorney representation in proceedings; (6) "owner" as any entity with legal right to lease units; and (7) "Secretary" as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.