NLIHC Applauds Reintroduction of the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act
Sep 17, 2026
Washington, DC - Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced the 'Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act,' which would create an additional 250,000 housing vouchers specifically designed for low-income families with young children to expand their access to well resourced neighborhoods with high-performing schools, strong job prospects, and other opportunities. This legislation would significantly eliminate homelessness among families with young children, as well as substantially reduce the number of children growing up in areas of concentrated poverty. This policy solution has been championed by the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, which worked with the bill’s sponsors to get the concept introduced into legislation.
“NLIHC commends Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN) for their leadership in reintroducing the "Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act," bipartisan legislation that expands access to stable housing and high-opportunity neighborhoods for families with young children,” said Renee M. Willis, president and CEO of National Low Income Housing Coalition. “Safe, affordable housing is essential to quality of life, supporting educational attainment, economic mobility, and health outcomes. The 'Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act' represents an important step toward advancing housing stability, providing 250,000 additional vouchers to help families with young children secure affordable housing in communities of their choice."
The legislation prioritizes these new vouchers for low-income pregnant women and families with children under age 6 who either have a recent history of homelessness or housing instability, or live in an area of concentrated poverty (or are at risk of being displaced from an opportunity area). These vouchers would be coupled with counseling and services that have a proven track record of supporting parents and helping families move out of neighborhoods of concentrated poverty.
Research shows that when children in poor families grow up in neighborhoods with low poverty, quality schools, and low crime, they are significantly more likely to attend college, less likely to become single parents, and more likely to earn dramatically more as adults over the course of their lifetimes. They also experience better health outcomes including a reduction in asthma symptoms.This helps break cycles of generational poverty and produces a positive taxpayer return. Research also shows that low-income students perform better academically and close achievement gaps faster when housing assistance enables them to live stably in well resourced neighborhoods with lower-poverty schools.
Opportunity Starts at Home comments on the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act
“Starting from the earliest years of our lives, the neighborhoods we live in shape our health, education, and economic opportunities. For millions of children across the country, housing instability can mean struggling in school, experiencing poorer health, and having fewer opportunities for economic mobility into adulthood. Decades of research show us that when children have stable homes in well-resourced communities, they have better outcomes and greater opportunities to thrive. The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act translates that evidence into a cost-effective solution. The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign is proud to champion this legislation and for its promise to give more children the stability and opportunity they deserve.” - Chantelle Wilkinson, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Campaigns at the National Low Income Housing Coalition
“Safe, stable, and affordable housing is foundational to child health. Our research has consistently shown that when families struggle with unstable housing, young children face greater risk of poor health and developmental delays. The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act would give more families with young children the stability and choice they need to find an affordable home in a well-resourced neighborhood where their children can thrive. Investing in housing stability during the earliest years of life is an investment in children’s health, development, and opportunity for the future.” - Dr. Megan Sandel, pediatrician, and Co-Lead Principal Investigator for Children’s HealthWatch.
Read the full press release from Opportunity Starts at Home here.
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