Federal legislation will provide low-income families with much-needed housing vouchers paired with mentoring services like those long provided by EMPath

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act. This bipartisan bill will expand rental assistance for low-income families with young children by creating 250,000 new housing vouchers. These vouchers would be paired with holistic, person-centered mentoring services – like those that Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) provides – so that families have support not only to access housing, but to achieve goals across all areas of their life.

In response, Kim Janey, former Mayor of Boston and president & CEO of EMPath – a national nonprofit dedicated to dramatically improving the lives of people living in poverty, and member of the National Low Income Housing Coalition – issued the below statement:

“EMPath applauds the reintroduction of the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act, critical legislation that will support low-income families at a time when rents are soaring far above what many can afford. We thank Senators Van Hollen and Young for their leadership on this issue that impacts so many families across the country.

“Stable housing is critical to moving out of poverty. It is not only a basic human right, but it also lays the foundation for families to work towards other goals in their lives – whether completing a degree or securing a good-paying job. Currently, there are only 36 homes available for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. Rising housing costs also mean that many families spend a large percentage of their incomes on housing, leaving little left for other critical needs. By creating new housing vouchers, this bill will provide families with greater access to affordable housing and free up much-needed space in household budgets that are already stretched far too thin.

“What sets this legislation apart is its recognition of the importance of providing robust support to families in addition to the vouchers – through holistic, person-centered mentoring services, similar to those we’ve provided at EMPath for years. In our work, we often hear from families that they desire support in leveraging resources and working toward long-term goals. Our research-backed coaching approach, called Mobility Mentoring®, acknowledges that people are the experts of their own lives and provides them with the kind of support we all need to move forward: coaching around long-term goals, strategizing around short-term roadblocks, and a framework for parsing out what to focus on next. Mentoring is a vital piece of the puzzle that can help families not only meet their basic needs but truly thrive.

“As our country continues to confront the housing crisis, families cannot wait any longer. Congress must act swiftly to pass the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act.”

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Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) is a nearly 200-year-old organization that dramatically improves the lives of people living in poverty. Because creating economic opportunity is multifaceted, EMPath's approach is too. EMPath offers a unique combination of direct services; a learning network of human services organizations; and research and advocacy for what works. This “virtuous circle” allows each part of the organization’s work to inform what it knows, does, and shares with others to seed systemic change. To learn more, visit empathways.org.