PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Congressional Research Service
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People & committees
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] · D–CO
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 13, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-10-01 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2026 would add rental-assistance vouchers for qualifying families with young children or an expected birth or adoption who face specified housing problems. Public housing agencies would offer help moving to areas with qualifying schools or early-childhood services, but families could decline that help and still receive a voucher. The bill would authorize funding for up to 50,000 additional vouchers annually for fiscal years 2027–2032; it would not itself provide that funding.
This Act may be cited as the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2026.
The term eligible family means a family that— (I) (aa) will welcome a minor child through birth or adoption in the next 300 days; or (bb) has not less than 1 child under the age of 6; (II) meets all applicable eligibility requirements under this subsection; and (III) is— (aa) homeless; (bb) unstably housed; (cc) living in an area of concentrated poverty; or (dd) at risk of displacement from— (AA) an opportunity area for children; or (BB) an area rapidly transitioning to become an opportunity area for children.
shall offer, to each eligible family that the agency selects to receive a voucher, mobility-related services to help the family move to an opportunity area for children with access to— (aa) a high-performing school; or (bb) high-quality childcare and early education
may not require an eligible family to participate in the mobility-related services described in subclause (I) as a condition of receipt of a voucher
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032 such sums as may be necessary to provide assistance to public housing agencies under this paragraph to be used for— (i) not more than 50,000 incremental vouchers each fiscal year
Section 2 would add the new voucher program to Section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937. Families would still have to meet all applicable eligibility requirements under that existing subsection.
Section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (23) Family stability and opportunity vouchers
meets all applicable eligibility requirements under this subsection
To qualify, a family would need at least one child under six or an expected birth or adoption of a minor child within 300 days. It would also need to be homeless, unstably housed, living in an area of concentrated poverty, or at risk of displacement from an opportunity area for children or an area rapidly becoming one.
The term eligible family means a family that— (I) (aa) will welcome a minor child through birth or adoption in the next 300 days; or (bb) has not less than 1 child under the age of 6; (II) meets all applicable eligibility requirements under this subsection; and (III) is— (aa) homeless; (bb) unstably housed; (cc) living in an area of concentrated poverty; or (dd) at risk of displacement from— (AA) an opportunity area for children; or (BB) an area rapidly transitioning to become an opportunity area for children.
An area of concentrated poverty would mean a census tract with a poverty rate of at least 30 percent, using the Census Bureau's most recent determination. The bill would use existing statutory definitions of homelessness and risk of homelessness.
The term area of concentrated poverty means a census tract in which the poverty rate is not less than 30 percent, as most recently determined by the Bureau of the Census.
The term at risk of homelessness has the meaning given the term in section 401 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360).
The term homeless has the meaning given the term in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302).
A family would count as unstably housed if it met any listed condition: risk of homelessness; at least two moves in the 12 months before selection from the waiting list; housing inaccessible to a family member with a disability; specified violence-related trauma or safety threats, including fleeing such conditions; or dangerous or life-threatening housing conditions.
The term unstably housed, with respect to a family, means a family who— (I) is at risk of homelessness; (II) has moved not less than twice during the 12-month period ending on the date on which a public housing agency selects the family from a waiting list to receive assistance under this paragraph; (III) is living in a unit not accessible to a family member with a disability; (IV) is experiencing trauma or a lack of safety relating to, or fleeing or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or another dangerous, traumatic, or life-threatening condition relating to violence against a member of the family or an individual in the housing situation of the family, including an instance in which the health and safety of a child is jeopardized; or (V) is living in housing conditions that are dangerous or life-threatening.
The Secretary would define opportunity areas for children and high-performing schools using the best available evidence. The Secretary would also establish qualification criteria for those areas and schools and for high-quality child care and early education.
The term high-performing school shall have the meaning given the term by the Secretary, using the best available evidence.
The term opportunity area for children shall have the meaning given the term by the Secretary, using the best available evidence.
The Secretary shall establish criteria for areas, schools, and child care and early education to qualify as opportunity areas for children, high-performing schools, and high-quality child care and early education, respectively.
For each fiscal year covered by the funding authorization, the Secretary would award assistance competitively to public housing agencies for additional vouchers and fees covering services that help eligible families move.
In each fiscal year for which amounts are authorized to be appropriated under subparagraph (F), the Secretary shall provide assistance to public housing agencies on a competitive basis to be used for— (I) incremental vouchers for eligible families; and (II) additional fees for the cost to the public housing agencies of providing mobility-related services to eligible families.
Starting in the second fiscal year that assistance is provided, agency selection would have to consider performance in implementing the program. The Secretary would also have to favor agencies partnering with home-visiting organizations when those services are available in the agency's service area.
For the second fiscal year in which the Secretary provides assistance under this paragraph, and each fiscal year thereafter, in selecting public housing agencies to receive assistance under this paragraph, the Secretary shall— (I) consider the performance of public housing agencies in implementing this paragraph; and (II) give preference to public housing agencies that partner with organizations that provide home visiting services, such as the services authorized under section 511 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 711) or locally funded initiatives, if those services are available in the service area of the public housing agency.
Participating agencies would have to offer every selected eligible family services to help it move to an opportunity area for children with access to a high-performing school or high-quality childcare and early education. Participation in those services could not be required to receive a voucher.
shall offer, to each eligible family that the agency selects to receive a voucher, mobility-related services to help the family move to an opportunity area for children with access to— (aa) a high-performing school; or (bb) high-quality childcare and early education
may not require an eligible family to participate in the mobility-related services described in subclause (I) as a condition of receipt of a voucher
Agencies would have to adopt policies specified by the Secretary to support these moves. The Secretary would establish a minimum set of services and policies based on promising practices and evidence of effectiveness.
shall adopt mobility-related policies, to be specified by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall establish a minimum assortment of types of mobility-related services that a public housing agency shall offer, and mobility-related policies that a public housing agency shall adopt, under clause (i) based on promising practices and evidence of the effectiveness of the services and policies.
Services would have to include an approach customized to help families transition to opportunity areas for children. Counseling and continued support would be permitted but not expressly required by this provision. Agencies could deliver services themselves or through a local partnership or contract.
The types of mobility-related services required to be offered under clause (i)— (I) shall include a customized approach to enable a successful transition to opportunity areas for children; and (II) may include counseling and continued supportive services for families.
A public housing agency may provide mobility-related services as required under clause (i) directly or through a local partnership or contract.
When a program voucher became available again, the agency would have to issue it to another eligible family and provide any available services to help that family move.
Upon turnover of a voucher issued by a public housing agency using assistance received under this paragraph, the public housing agency shall issue the voucher to another eligible family under this paragraph.
A public housing agency turning over a voucher as described in subclause (I) shall provide any available mobility services to the eligible family receiving the voucher.
If an agency failed to legally commit assistance within a period the Secretary considered reasonable, the Secretary could take back the uncommitted assistance and redistribute it to other public housing agencies. The Secretary would have to make reasonable efforts to consult agencies when issuing the rules governing that process.
If a public housing agency that receives assistance to be used for vouchers and fees under this paragraph fails to obligate any such assistance within a reasonable period as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary may recapture and reallocate the unobligated assistance to other public housing agencies pursuant to rules issued by the Secretary.
In issuing the rules under subclause (I), the Secretary shall make reasonable efforts to consult with public housing agencies.
Within 180 days after enactment, the Secretary would have to publish a Federal Register notice for public comment containing definitions or other specifications required or authorized by the new paragraph.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall publish a notice for public comment in the Federal Register that includes any definitions or other specifications required or authorized under this paragraph.
For the first fiscal year receiving an appropriation for additional vouchers, the Secretary would have up to two years after the money was appropriated to allocate it to agencies. For later fiscal years, the allocation deadline would be 180 days after appropriation.
For the first fiscal year for which amounts are appropriated to be provided to public housing agencies for incremental vouchers under this paragraph, the Secretary shall allocate the amounts to public housing agencies not later than 2 years after the date on which the amounts are appropriated.
For any fiscal year after the fiscal year described in subclause (I), the Secretary shall allocate amounts to public housing agencies for incremental vouchers under this paragraph not later than 180 days after the date on which the amounts are appropriated.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide whatever amounts are necessary for up to 50,000 additional vouchers in each fiscal year from 2027 through 2032, plus voucher administration and other expenses related to helping families move. This is permission for future appropriations, not an appropriation or a guarantee that all authorized vouchers would be funded.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032 such sums as may be necessary to provide assistance to public housing agencies under this paragraph to be used for— (i) not more than 50,000 incremental vouchers each fiscal year, as described in subparagraph (B)(i)(I); and (ii) fees for the cost of administering the incremental vouchers described in subparagraph (B)(i)(I) and other mobility-related expenses.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated October 13, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Financial Services on October 1, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-13T19:10:01Z. 2026-10-01: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. 2026-10-01: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-10-01. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status cannot be established for other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text contains a selection preference for a subset of otherwise eligible agencies. This is preferential treatment within the main program, not a finding of improper purpose.
Beginning in the second fiscal year assistance is provided, public housing agencies partnering with organizations that provide home-visiting services would receive a competitive selection preference, if those services are available in the agency's service area. This favors agencies with a specified partnership when distributing assistance under the voucher program.
For the second fiscal year in which the Secretary provides assistance under this paragraph, and each fiscal year thereafter, in selecting public housing agencies to receive assistance under this paragraph, the Secretary shall— (I) consider the performance of public housing agencies in implementing this paragraph; and (II) give preference to public housing agencies that partner with organizations that provide home visiting services, such as the services authorized under section 511 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 711) or locally funded initiatives, if those services are available in the service area of the public housing agency.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 13, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI