Urges U.S. President and Congress to enact legislation comparable to "Eviction Crisis Act of 2019" and "Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019."

ACR119

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 119

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Urges U.S. President and Congress to enact
legislation comparable to �Eviction Crisis Act of 2019� and �Family Stability
and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A
Concurrent Resolution

urging the
President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation comparable to
the �Eviction Crisis Act of 2019� and the �Family Stability and Opportunity
Vouchers Act of 2019.�

Whereas,

Living in a stable home yields a multitude of opportunities and stronger
outcomes for children, youth, and adults, because a stable home provides a
platform for improved outcomes in employment, health, and education; and

Whereas,

When a person experiences homelessness, the person�s future educational
attainment, employment growth, health stability, and family preservation are
significantly reduced; and

Whereas,

In the United States, three out of every four low income households in need of
housing assistance are denied federal help due to the chronic underfunding of
federal assistance programs; and

Whereas,

Six million families with children lack stable housing, are at risk of losing
their homes, or live in unsafe or overcrowded conditions; and

Whereas,

In 2016, 2.3 million eviction filings were made in courthouses across the
United States and one in 50 renters was evicted from their home; and

Whereas,

In 2017, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
reported that more than eight million households with very low income pay more
than 50 percent of their household income for housing costs, making it
extremely difficult to pay for transportation, child-care, food, medical
expenses, and other necessities; and

Whereas,

In 2018, over 150,000 New Jersey families faced eviction, and of all New Jersey
families in poverty who rent, on average 75 percent of those families spent at
least half of their income on housing, leaving these families with little extra
money for addressing unexpected expenses; and

Whereas,

The federal �Eviction Crisis Act of 2019,� a bi-partisan bill introduced by
United States Senators Michael Bennett (D-Colo.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), would
have addressed the national housing crisis crippling millions of Americans by
improving data and analysis on evictions, reducing preventable evictions and
eviction-related consequences, and improving information on tenant screening
reports; and

Whereas,

The federal �Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019,� a
bi-partisan bill introduced by United States Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
and Todd Young (R-Ind.), would have addressed the lack of housing vouchers
available throughout the nation by creating an additional 500,000 housing
vouchers over five years for low-income, high-need families with young
children; and

Whereas,

It is altogether fitting and proper to urge the Congress of the United States
to introduce and pass legislation comparable to the �Eviction Crisis Act of
2019� and the �Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019,� and for
the President of the United States to sign such legislation into law to ensure
all families can live in an affordable, stable home; now, therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

���� 1.��� The Legislature of this
State respectfully urges the Congress of the United States
to introduce and pass legislation comparable to
the
�Eviction Crisis Act of 2019� and the �Family Stability and Opportunity
Vouchers Act of 2019,� and for the President of the United States to sign such
legislation into law, to ensure all families can live in an affordable, stable
home.

���� 2.��� Copies of this
resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the
Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President
of the United States, Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States
Senate, to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of
Representatives, and to each member of the United States Congress elected from
this State.

STATEMENT

���� This concurrent resolution
urges the Congress of the United States to introduce and pass legislation
comparable to the �Eviction Crisis Act of 2019� and the �Family Stability and
Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019,� and for the President of the United States
to sign such legislation into law, to ensure all families can live in an
affordable, stable home.

���� In the United States, three
out of every four low income households in need of housing assistance are
denied federal help due to chronic underfunding of federal assistance programs.
Additionally, six million families with children lack stable housing, are at
risk of losing their homes, or live in unsafe or overcrowded conditions.

���� In 2016, 2.3 million eviction
filings were made in courthouses across the United States and one in 50 renters
was evicted from their home.� In 2017, the United States Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) reported that more than eight million households
with very low income pay more than 50 percent of their household income for
housing costs, making it extremely difficult to pay for transportation,
child-care, food, medical expenses, and other necessities.

���� In 2018, over 150,000 New
Jersey families faced eviction, and

of all New Jersey families in
poverty who rent, on average 75 percent of those families spent at least half
of their income on housing, leaving these families with little extra money for
addressing unexpected expenses.

���� The federal �Eviction Crisis
Act of 2019,� a bi-partisan bill introduced by United States Senators Michael
Bennett (D-Colo.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), would have addressed the national
housing crisis crippling millions of Americans by improving data and analysis
on evictions, reducing preventable evictions and eviction-related consequences,
and improving information on tenant screening reports.

���� The federal �Family Stability
and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019,� a bi-partisan bill introduced by United
States Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), would have
addressed the lack of housing vouchers available throughout the nation by
creating an additional 500,000 housing vouchers over five years for low-income,
high-need families with young children.