(INDIANAPOLIS) – Solving a shortage of affordable housing could save tax dollars in a variety of other programs. That’s the theory of a bill introduced by Indiana Senator Todd Young.
Young (R) says a lack of affordable housing makes it harder for people to break out of poverty. He says many people can’t apply for jobs they’re qualified for because they can’t afford housing in the neighborhood. And John Niederman with the Huntington housing-assistance agency Pathfinder Services says he sees kids falling behind in school because they keep changing schools, as their parents try to stay a step ahead of the rent collector.
Young’s bill would create a task force to quantify those effects and recommend solutions. The task force would also assess how well the various federal housing assistance programs are working, and how the most effective ones can be improved.
Eight senators — four Democrats, three Republicans and Maine Independent Angus King — are co-sponsoring the bill. Young says he’s hoping it can pass without a full committee markup.
In May, Young and Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen introduced a bill to give people more flexibility in where they use federal housing vouchers, to make it easier to find a place to live that’s close to the jobs they want.
Sen. Todd Young (R-Indiana) (Photo: Eric Berman/WIBC)
