Eviction Helpline Act Would Establish National Hotline for Eviction-Related Counsel; Helping More Families Save Act Would Modernize HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – The House Financial Services Committee passed two bills championed by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) that would strengthen eviction protections and help families receiving federal housing assistance achieve financial independence. The Eviction Helpline Act and Helping More Families Save Act passed out of committee as part of the bipartisan Housing for the 21^st Century Act and now head to the House floor.

“Housing is a human right. It is health, dignity, stability, and community—which is why we’ve been fighting hard to advance these bills to help keep families safely housed and support them as they achieve financial stability,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement. “As the daughter of a tenants’ rights organizer, I’m proud to see this impactful legislation move forward as we continue doing the work of housing justice. Congress must pass them without delay.”

The Eviction Helpline Act would require the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish and promote a national hotline so that households can receive access to the eviction-related counsel they need and get help even before an eviction is filed.

The Helping More Families Save Act would modernize and expand HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program for low-income families and empower them to achieve financial stability through financial literacy, job training, and childcare.

Congresswoman Pressley discussed these two bills during the Committee’s markup of the 21^st Century Housing Act, citing the eviction crisis in towns like Randolph in the Massachusetts 7^th Congressional District and the success of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program in Massachusetts.

A transcript of her remarks is available below and the video is available here.

Transcript: Pressley Champions Bills to Strengthen Eviction Protections, Help Families Achieve Financial Independence
House Financial Services Committee
December 17, 2025

I support this housing package crafted by Chair Hill, Ranking Member Waters, and the committee staff. 

Thank you for including these two bills, which are a priority of mine, the Eviction Helpline Act and the Helping More Families Save Act in this package.

I serve as Vice Chair of the Renters Caucus, which I like to think of as the “Pathway to Home Ownership Caucus.” Renting is an essential part of the housing journey for millions of adults throughout the country, and the inclusion of these bills demonstrates how Congress can both help renters – tenants – to remain safely housed, while also help tenants achieve the dream of home ownership. 

Housing is a human right. It is health, it is dignity, it is stability, and community. 

Every single person deserves access, deserves access to a quality home that they can actually afford. That’s why my bills are so necessary. 

The Eviction Helpline Act requires HUD to establish and promote a national hotline so that households can receive access to the eviction-related counsel they need. 

As the daughter of a tenants’ rights organizer, this bill is near and dear to my heart, and I’ve been fighting for this type of eviction-related support since I was first elected to Congress and introduced the HELP Act to support renters.

In my district, the Massachusetts 7th and throughout our nation, evictions are destabilizing, devastating life events for your physical health, mental well-being, financial outlook and more. Children, women of color and now the elderly are among those who are most impacted. 

Randolph, a town in my district, has a disproportionately high number of renters who are, on average, paying $2,600 a month in rent. Randolph also has one of the highest eviction rates in Massachusetts, more than double the statewide average. 

For many, homelessness is an abstract concept. They see the unhoused on television or pass by them in their car and would rather ignore it. But we in Congress have a responsibility and obligation to not look away and to do something about [increasing] homelessness and its impact on our families and communities. 

Pregnant women facing low birth weights due to housing instability, children in school at increased risk of illness due to unhealthy living conditions, parents missing work to negotiate with their landlord in the court hallways, and even our elders, who are part of the growing gray wave simply because they cannot find an affordable place to live. 

So that’s why this eviction hotline is so important, so that these families are not fighting alone and can know their rights as tenants and get the help they need before an eviction is even filed. 

Additionally, the inclusion of the Helping More Families Save Act is an important step to supporting our lowest income families achieve stability. HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency program has been a game changer by creating a pathway for households that receive public assistance to gain financial stability through programming and financial literacy, job training, and child care. 

I’m always excited to champion this life altering program as a priority for urban and rural communities alike. Further in my district, Compass Working Capital has truly innovated the Family Self-Sufficiency Program in Massachusetts to help families build wealth and move into their own homes. 

These bills are the type of impactful and transformative legislation that our constituents deserve, and their inclusion in this housing package is a great movement forward. 

But I believe we still need to do more. 

We still need to make sure we have funding for housing vouchers and legal aid attorneys. We need staff at HUD to run these programs and enforce the laws to fight discrimination. But this package is a momentous step in the right direction, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate on how we can better support the people who sent us here. 

They deserve it. 

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