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Subcommittee backs three-year, $80 million pilot to help 5,000 families with place-based rental assistance
Summary
House Bill 1879, which establishes a three-year pilot allocating $80 million to provide rental assistance to 5,000 qualifying low-income families with school-age children, was reported to the Appropriations Committee by the subcommittee.
The General Laws Housing Consumer Protection Subcommittee voted to report House Bill 1879, a proposal to create a three-year pilot program providing rental assistance to 5,000 low-income families with school-age children. The sponsor described the measure as a targeted intervention to improve housing stability and educational outcomes.
The bill would create a pilot funded at $80 million over three years to support 5,000 qualifying households; the sponsor said the program seeks families with at least one child age 16 or younger and is designed to reach households that currently qualify for but lack access to federal Housing Choice Vouchers. The sponsor said approximately 347,000 Virginians eligible for federal vouchers cannot access them due to limited funding.
Isabelle McClain of the Virginia Housing Alliance and several housing and anti-poverty advocates testified in support, emphasizing housing stability as a foundation for children’s school performance and health. ‘‘We strongly support this bill,’’ McClain said, adding the pilot seeks to keep families in housing and prevent instability that harms children’s learning.
Supporters characterized the measure as a short-term, focused investment to fill gaps in federal assistance; the subcommittee voted to report and refer the bill to the Appropriations Committee. The clerk recorded the vote to report the bill as 6 to 2.
