As a national nonprofit working to prevent and end family homelessness, Family Promise applauds the bipartisan passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. This legislation represents progress toward addressing America’s affordable housing crisis by expanding the supply of manufactured housing and strengthening opportunities for low-income renters to access and maintain stable housing.
Through our national network serving families in over 250 counties across the country, we see every day that stable housing provides the foundation children need to thrive. We commend Congress for advancing bipartisan solutions and urge lawmakers to ensure the bill’s provisions are fully funded and implemented.
At the same time, this legislation is just one step toward addressing a much larger crisis. Millions of children experience homelessness each year, and millions more are living one rent increase, job loss, or medical emergency away from losing their homes. At Family Promise, we operate programs to prevent evictions, provide emergency shelter, get families housed, and promote economic mobility, taking a holistic approach to preventing and ending homelessness, as the problem cannot be solved with housing alone. We see firsthand the increasing struggles of families, as waitlists for assistance at our sites continue to grow. Nationwide, families with children are receiving a shrinking share of housing assistance at a time when need is high, and young children face a higher risk of eviction than any other age group.
Children and families continue to be overlooked in housing and homelessness policy. Family homelessness is often less visible, with parents doing everything possible to protect their children from the upheaval and stigma of homelessness. Yet addressing family homelessness couldn’t be more urgent due to the generational trauma it causes for children, their families, and our communities.
Family Promise looks forward to working with policymakers to advance practical, evidence-based solutions, so every child has the stability of home and the opportunity to thrive.
