2026 Legislative Recap and Potential for Next Session

The 2026 Tennessee legislative session brought a collection of bills with potential to impact housing access, tenants’ rights, and homelessness locally and state-wide. As we've learned, legislative moves can have deep and long-lasting impacts on people experiencing homelessness.

Alongside the Housing for All Tennessee coalition, we educated representatives about legislation that would have a positive impact and contributed to amendments that made bills less dangerous for our unhoused neighbors.

To see a breakdown of the housing-related bills that passed this session, visit our latest Instagram post.

A Negative Bill That Failed

H.B. 1662 / S.B. 1749 would have increased the penalty for certain kinds of trespassing from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony if during the trespass a property owner “uses or displays a firearm in self-defense.”

This bill had the potential to increase the criminalization of homelessness in our state. Felony charges make it even more difficult to obtain housing, which continues the cycle of punishing people experiencing homelessness instead of building systemic supports that prioritize housing access.

We educated legislators about the potentially harmful impacts of this bill during our Day on the Hill and were glad to see it didn’t move forward.

Positive Bills That Failed

There were at least eight bills this session designed to increase housing access, protect vulnerable communities, and invest in real solutions to increasing homelessness.

Despite educating legislators about the potential for positive impacts, none of these bills below made it out of committee. While it was disappointing to see them fail, they provide a roadmap for our continued advocacy as we prepare for the 2027 session.

• Fair Background Check Bill (H.B. 2346/S.B. 2628) would have prevented consumer reporting agencies from reporting certain non-convictions to employers, landlords, or licensing agencies until the charge results in a guilty or plea verdict.

• TN Fair Chance Housing Act (H.B. 2235/S.B. 2506) would have prohibited discrimination in housing as it relates to past criminal history. 

•  Safe Spaces Bill (H.B. 2249/S.B. 2497) would have prohibited ICE from entering and conducting law enforcement activities in a hospital, physician's office, or shelters in Tennessee.

•  Homelessness Study Bill (H.B. 2421/S.B. 2656) would have directed the Tennessee Advisory Committee for Intergovernmental Relations to conduct a study on combatting the rise of homelessness in Tennessee.

• Affordable Housing and Tenant Protection Act (H.B. 0955/S.B. 0961) would have allowed local governments to adopt rent control for private residential units and create an increased housing program and fund to support gap financing and down payment assistance.

• Homes Not Hedge Funds Act (H.B. 0298/S.B. 0242) would have restricted corporate ownership of single-family homes in counties of a certain size. 

•  First‑Time Homebuyer Assistance Program Bill (H.B. 2236/S.B. 2341) would have created a first‑time homebuyer assistance program, administered by Tennessee Housing Development Agency, to support prospective new homeowners.

• Rural and Workforce Housing Tax Credits Resolution (S.J.R. 0027) would have authorized the Tennessee Housing Development Agency to allocate, and the Department of Revenue to credit, low‑income and workforce housing tax credits created by the Tennessee Rural and Workforce Housing Act, with authority for $10 million in credits per year for a defined period.

Special Session Shock

Just as the busy session came to an end, we were shocked to see Gov. Bill Lee call a special session to redraw voting maps. This decision followed the federal trend of repressing Black voters especially following the federal Louisiana v. Callais decision.

Members of our Housing for All Tennessee coalition in Memphis, along with others across the state, are directly impacted by the splitting of the historically Black district and helped lead the protests around this racist, illegal gerrymandering.

As our rights continue to be under attack, we stand in solidarity with all Tennesseans who are fighting for a better future where everyone has the ability to thrive!