Today, First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter to Senators Chris Van Hollen and Todd Young and Representatives Joe Neguse and Brian Fitzpatrick, authors of the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2023 (S. 1257/H.R. 3776) to express our support for the bill.
Excerpt from the letter:
Housing instability can have a great impact on the physical health, mental health, and education of children and negatively influence their long-term outcomes. Housing instability can impact brain development in children, in addition to links with low birth weights and respiratory problems in infants whose families were experiencing housing instability. Yet unfortunately, families with children are a decreasing share of subsidized housing residents, including for housing choice vouchers. In 2009, 52% of voucher recipients were households with children, while in 2022, they made up just 39% of recipients. Therefore, we appreciate that this bill prioritizes vouchers for families with children.