7-08-2024 10:11pm

Landsman Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Low-Income Students

Beth Callahan Editor

WARREN COUNTY, OH -- On Monday, Warren County's Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), and Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced bipartisan legislation to help low-income students pay for college campus housing.

Congressman Landsman, Congressman Lawler, Congresswoman Beatty, and Congressman Bacon have introducedH.R.8925 – the Campus Housing Affordability Act – bipartisan legislation that would allow eligible students in, or formerly in, foster care and emancipated youth to use the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program - known as Section 8 vouchers - to pay for college campus housing.

Currently, the HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program cannot currently be used by college students, whether they live on or off campus. The Campus Housing Affordability Act would allow the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to waive requirements and provisions in the program, allowing foster care and emancipated youth the ability to use Section 8 vouchers for housing on college campuses - lowering the barriers these students face due to the cost of college campus housing.

The Campus Housing Affordability Act has been endorsed by the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, National Foster Youth Institute, Foster Care Alumni of America.

"We have a real opportunity to change lives. I’m confident this bipartisan legislation will help thousands of low-income students afford college because their housing is covered. They can live in a dorm with their peers instead of feeling isolated off-campus, which could lead to better academic performance and greater overall success," Landsman said.

"As a foster care parent, I understand it can be challenging for foster youth students to attend college. This legislation removes restraints on college students from receiving housing assistance. With a high rate of homelessness prevalent amongst foster youth amongst youth transitioning out of foster care, this bill will help remove a barrier and ensure more foster youth can complete college. I am happy to join Rep. Landsman on this bipartisan legislation to help foster youth,” added Bacon.

The Campus Housing Affordability Act has been endorsed by the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, National Foster Youth Institute, Foster Care Alumni of America. The full text of the Campus Housing and Affordability Act can be found here.