The Housing Oversight and Mitigating Exploitation Act of 2025, or HOME Act, seeks to protect consumers from excessive residential rental and sale prices, particularly during periods of affordable housing crisis. It empowers the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to declare an "affordable housing crisis period" based on factors like interest rates, median housing prices, and household income. During such a declared crisis, the bill prohibits individuals from renting or selling dwelling units at prices that are unconscionably excessive and exploit the crisis circumstances. Violations of this price gouging prohibition can be enforced by HUD, similar to Federal Trade Commission actions, and by State Attorneys General, with collected penalties directed to the Housing Trust Fund for low-income housing. The Act also mandates HUD to conduct an investigation into potential manipulation of housing prices, including the impact of mergers and acquisitions in the real estate industry. This investigation will inform a long-term strategy to address market manipulation and analyze how non-occupant investors affect underserved communities. To support these efforts, the bill establishes a Housing Monitoring and Enforcement Unit within HUD, tasked with continuously collecting and analyzing housing market data to identify manipulation and anti-competitive behaviors. This unit will also facilitate enforcement actions and seek data-sharing agreements with state and local jurisdictions. Furthermore, HUD is directed to monitor single-family housing purchases, triggering investigations if a single purchaser or institutional investors acquire an excessive amount of housing in a market area. The HOME Act also addresses unfair tenant screening practices, requiring HUD, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to jointly identify and report on issues like algorithmic screening and adverse action notices. It amends the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act to require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to establish standards for mortgage purchases that ensure basic renter protections and prevent egregious rent increases. Finally, the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission are mandated to conduct a joint review of anti-competitive behaviors in both single-family housing and residential rental markets.