A rental housing voucher proposal to provide assistance to families of children experiencing homelessness in Delaware is unveiled by child advocates and Action for Delaware’s Children.
The proposal would provide 50 vouchers to families living in shelters and motels who have school aged children.
The program would be administered by the Delaware State Housing Authority, and it would require the heads of families receiving vouchers to either be working, actively seeking work or training for work.
The vouchers would also require families to use 30% of their income on housing.
"I think what's really important as well is to make sure our families experiencing homelessness across the state and children have a place to call home where they can lay their head at night, and where they get the resources they need immediately and not have to go through many hoops or barriers to access those resources," said Karen Eller, board member for Action for Delaware’s Children and a teacher at Maurice Pritchett Academy in Wilmington.
State Rep. Kim Williams – chair of the House Education Committee and co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee – hopes to add this program to the state budget after new revenue estimates added $196 million in the state’s budget bottom line.
Williams says children in these conditions – and there are a lot – have more trouble in school.
"Right now too many students are living in shelters in small motel rooms with multiple family members without the stability every child deserves, said Williams. Recent data in Delaware indicates that hundreds of children across the state are living in these circumstances. Research consistently shows that students experiencing homelessness, face the greatest barriers to academic success."
If approved, the program is expected to cost $800,000 per year.
