U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on May 24 introduced the U.S. Senate version of a bipartisan bill that would incentivize American families receiving housing vouchers to live in areas where they would have more prospects for success.
“Although the intent of the Housing Choice Voucher Program is to give families greater housing mobility, it has fallen short of meeting that objective,” Sen. Young said. “This bill will help solve this problem by incentivizing choice and helping families relocate to high-opportunity areas.”
The Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2018, S. 2945, is cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). The same-named companion bill, H.R. 5793, was introduced on May 15 by U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) and cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO).
The bill specifically would authorize the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to hold a housing choice voucher mobility demonstration project to encourage families receiving voucher assistance to move to lower-poverty areas and expand access to opportunity areas, according to the congressional record.
“As I travel the state of Indiana and discuss my Fair Shot Agenda with Hoosiers, one thing I hear repeatedly is the need to help families live and work closer to where the opportunities are,” said Sen. Young, referring to his statewide initiative that’s focused on four key areas: opportunity, safety, health, and better government.
Evidence shows that Housing Choice Vouchers currently don’t meet their mobility goals with three out of five of today’s children in the United States living in a distressed zip code where they become trapped in the cycle of poverty due to a lack of opportunities, according to a statement released by Sen. Young’s office.
Conversely, high-opportunity areas provide children with more chances for successful life outcomes, including lower-crime, better education, access to transportation, quality healthcare, or suitable housing, according to the statement.
“Ensuring that families have access to affordable housing is crucial – but we can’t stop there,” Sen. Van Hollen said. “We need to make sure that people have the ability to relocate to areas that are closer to a new job or their child’s school. This bipartisan legislation will expand opportunities for families across Maryland and our country.”
According to draft text of S. 2945, public housing authorities (PHAs) would be required to submit a regional housing mobility plan detailing how the proposed group would assist families in moving to higher-opportunity areas. The bill also would authorize HUD to award demonstration program funds on a competitive basis and prioritize regional collaborations among PHAs with high concentrations of voucher holders in low-opportunity neighborhoods, among other factors.
Additionally, among several other provisions, S. 2945 would direct HUD to submit a report five years after implementing the demonstration program that evaluates the effectiveness of the program and provides guidance on identifying the most cost-effective methods for moving families to higher-opportunity areas, according to the draft text.
S. 2945 has been referred to the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee for consideration. The U.S. House Financial Services Committee on May 22 approved H.R. 5793, 53-0.