H.R. 1856: Ending Homelessness Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-03-25 · Housing and Community Development · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 101.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-03-25 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 101. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Ending Homelessness Act of 2019

Plain summary

Ending Homelessness Act of 2019 This bill provides additional funding for, and otherwise addresses, assistance to homeless individuals and families. The funding provided by the bill is designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. Specifically, the bill provides additional FY2020-FY2024 funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to (1) award emergency relief grants to address unmet needs of homeless populations in jurisdictions with the highest need, and (2) provide additional incremental rental voucher assistance for individuals and families who are homeless. The bill also provides FY2020-FY2024 funding for HUD to award grants to provide outreach and coordinate services for individuals and families who are homeless or formerly homeless. Further, the bill provides additional FY2020-FY2024 funding for the Housing Trust Fund (dedicated to affordable housing for extremely low-income and very low-income families) and incremental project-based voucher and rental assistance. While this additional funding is available, HUD must ensure that priority for occupancy in assisted units is given to individuals and families who are homeless. Further, units receiving such assistance may not require families to contribute more than 30% of their adjusted income towards rent. Additionally, the bill provides funding for HUD to provide technical assistance to states, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to integrate and coordinate homeless assistance with federal health care programs. Finally, the bill permanently reauthorizes certain homeless assistance grants and makes permanent the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House, Part I), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Ending Homelessness Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House, Part I)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] · 46 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 1856, Ending Homelessness Act of 2019 (2019-05-09)

Cosponsors on this site

Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Al Green (D-TX), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Alma S. Adams (D-NC), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Bill Foster (D-IL), Ed Case (D-HI), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Grace Meng (D-NY), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), James A. Himes (D-CT), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] reported raising $1.1 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House, Part I)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr1856.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr1856 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116