FEDERAL ADVOCACY
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Eviction Crisis Act Introduced in Congress Today, December 12, 2019, Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Eviction Crisis Act, which creates new tools to help end the nation’s continuing eviction epidemic. Among various other promising provisions, the legislation includes the creation of an Emergency Assistance Fund to test, evaluate, and expand proven interventions to help low-income households facing housing instability due to an unexpected economic shock. This policy solution was developed and championed by the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, which worked closely with the bill’s sponsors. Utah Housing Coalition is one of the eight nation-wide partners of this campaign. The introduction of this legislation marks a significant milestone for the campaign in advancing its policy agenda.
Utah Housing Coalition Press Release |
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The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019
On December 18, 2019, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act, which would create an additional 500,000 housing vouchers specifically designed for low-income families with young children to expand their access to neighborhoods of opportunity with high-performing schools, strong job prospects, and other resources.
The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019 would help families who are facing unstable living circumstances by:
Creating an additional 500,000 housing vouchers over five years for low-income, high-need families with young children. Pregnant women and families with a child under age 6 would qualify for these new vouchers if they have a history of homelessness or housing instability, live in an area of concentrated poverty, or are at risk of being pushed out of an opportunity area.
Providing families receiving the new vouchers with access to counseling and case management services that have a proven track record of helping families move out of poverty.
Enabling housing agencies to engage new landlords in the voucher program and connect families with information about housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods, and community-based supports for families as they move.
On December 18, 2019, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act, which would create an additional 500,000 housing vouchers specifically designed for low-income families with young children to expand their access to neighborhoods of opportunity with high-performing schools, strong job prospects, and other resources.
The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019 would help families who are facing unstable living circumstances by:
Creating an additional 500,000 housing vouchers over five years for low-income, high-need families with young children. Pregnant women and families with a child under age 6 would qualify for these new vouchers if they have a history of homelessness or housing instability, live in an area of concentrated poverty, or are at risk of being pushed out of an opportunity area.
Providing families receiving the new vouchers with access to counseling and case management services that have a proven track record of helping families move out of poverty.
Enabling housing agencies to engage new landlords in the voucher program and connect families with information about housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods, and community-based supports for families as they move.
