According to the data, it is essential to provide children with stability at home in order to help them succeed in life.
That’s why a bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to provide rental help to families in Virginia in an effort to make sure every youngster in the Commonwealth has a roof over their head.
“There is not a Sunday that goes by that a mom doesn’t walk into our church doors and ask about if we are able to help with rent,” Delegate Carrie Coyner (R-Chesterfield) stated.
The affordability of housing for low-income families is the subject of a new measure that was submitted during this year’s General Assembly session. Supporters are referring to it as the “5000 Families Pilot Program,” which is intended to give families that fit certain requirements vital rental help.
Families with at least one kid under the age of 17 who make less than 50% of the average income in their community would be the program’s primary target.
The program targets those who are having difficulty affording housing in high-cost areas, with up to 5,000 families potentially eligible for the aid.
Families that qualify would receive monthly rental help if the measure is enacted, with the aim of bringing their housing expenses down to no more than 30% of their income.
With the help of this initiative, families would be able to focus more of their meager funds on other necessities like food, medical care, and education. The initiative aims to give families in need a short-term fix while they strive for long-term stability by providing this focused assistance.
For families most at risk of homelessness and housing instability, the pilot program is viewed as a first step in addressing more general housing affordability challenges.
Advocates think it might be used as a template for more extensive programs in the future to assist low-income families throughout the state.
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“We know that all parents want to provide a better future for their children and that starts with a safe and stable place to call home,” Isabella Mclain with the Virginia Housing Alliance stated.
Coyner stated that the program was created to give children in Virginia who are at risk the opportunity to succeed.
“Research shows us that when a child is displaced from housing and their family is forced to move to a different place to have some sort of stability, that child is set back in their education because they are transitioning to a new teacher, to a new school, to a new community and there is a lot of trauma associated with those types of big moves for children,” Coyner stated.
According to lawmakers, the scheme will cost approximately $80 million over the course of three years.
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