The Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign hosted a congressional briefing on May 20 focusing on two major bipartisan housing bills: the “Eviction Crisis Act” and the “Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act.” Experts shared research on the potential impact of both bills for families and children nationwide, discussed the adverse impacts of housing instability and eviction, summarized the bipartisan public support for provisions in both bills, and explained the benefits of the emergency rental assistance (ERA) made available during the COVID-19 pandemic. The briefing concluded with a call to action for elected officials to support the Eviction Crisis Act and to co-sponsor and support both pieces of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
Briefing speakers included:
- Chantelle Wilkinson, director of the OSAH campaign.
- Sarah Oppenheimer, executive director of Opportunity Insights.
- Peter Hepburn, associate director at Eviction Lab.
- Dr. Megan Sandel, co-lead principal investigator at Children’s Health Watch.
- Julianne Walker, campaign coordinator of the OSAH campaign.
- Francis Torres, senior policy analyst with the housing team at Bipartisan Policy Center.
- Sarah Gallagher, vice president of state and local innovation at NLIHC.
- Kim Johnson, public policy manager at NLIHC.
The reintroduction of the Eviction Crisis Act and the inclusion of the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act in any bipartisan housing packages that move forward in the Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs would represent significant wins for the OSAH campaign as it works to advance both bills. Together with its multi-sector partners, the OSAH campaign will continue to champion the bills.