Federal grants fund tenant protections: mandatory mediation before eviction
H.R. 10103 — Stable Homes Act · Filed by Mary Scanlon (D-PA) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Aug 13, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a five-year pilot program (2026–2030) awarding grants of up to $300 million annually to local governments to create or expand eviction diversion programs. These programs require landlords to notify tenants of their right to participate in mediation, rental assistance, or counseling before filing for eviction, and mandate a 30-day good-faith negotiation period. Tenants earning up to 200% of the federal poverty line get free legal counsel if the landlord is represented by an attorney.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a mandatory pre-eviction diversion process funded by federal grants to local governments, designed to prevent homelessness through mediation, rental assistance, and legal counsel for low-income tenants.
What the text implies
- Landlords face mandatory 30-day delay before formal eviction filing, increasing carrying costs and administrative burden; this may incentivize settlement but could also reduce willingness to rent to marginal tenants or increase rents to offset delay risk.
- Free legal counsel requirement for tenants earning ≤200% of federal poverty line creates asymmetric representation incentive—landlords represented by counsel must face tenant counsel at no cost, potentially shifting negotiating power and settlement patterns.
- Pilot program termination on December 31, 2030 creates uncertainty about program continuation; local governments may hesitate to build permanent infrastructure if federal funding is not extended beyond the five-year window.
- Reporting requirements on landlord types, legal representation, and tenant demographics may reveal disparities in eviction patterns by race, income, and geography, potentially creating political pressure for further regulation or litigation risk for landlords.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill strengthens tenant protections by requiring pre-eviction negotiation, providing access to rental assistance and free legal counsel for low-income tenants, and creating a defense against landlord non-compliance. These measures reduce homelessness and preserve housing stability for vulnerable renters without restricting tenant rights or remedies.
Who stands to gain
- Legal aid organizations and tenant advocacy nonprofits
- Rental assistance administrators and housing counseling agencies
- Local government housing departments
Named in the bill
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Secretary of HUD, Units of general local government, House Committee on Financial Services, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Inspector General of HUD
Where it stands
7 cosponsors: 7 Democrats.
- Aug 13, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Aug 13, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Financial Services · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (4,607 characters) on Aug 18, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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