Opportunity Starts at Home: Campaign Unveils National Policy Agenda, Urges Congress to Act Now!

Today, the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign released its national policy agenda, entitled "Within Reach." The campaign makes the case that stronger federal action is long-overdue to ensure that the most vulnerable low-income households can afford safe, decent homes.

Over the past year, leading national organizations from the housing, education, health, civil rights, anti-hunger, anti-poverty, and faith-based sectors have joined together throughOpportunity Starts at Home, an unprecedented campaign to advocate for more robust and equitable federal housing policies. "Within Reach" identifies three long-term policy strategies that are essential for Congress to act upon:

• Dramatically expanding rental assistance, such as housing vouchers or renter's tax credits, to bridge the growing gap between rent and income;
• Dramatically expanding the supply of housing affordable to the lowest-income renters, which requires larger investments in production programs like the national Housing Trust Fund; and
• Creating a new national program that provides temporary financial assistance to help cover rent for households experiencing unexpected economic shocks (e.g., loss of work hours, unreimbursed medical bill, broken car). Coupled with stability services, such as counselors and legal aid, this program would extend an emergency cushion to families in crisis, helping them avert the downward spiral of housing instability and homelessness.

Courtesy of Opportunity Starts at Home