Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., met with the Vancouver Housing Authority, local housing providers and federal housing relief recipients Thursday to discuss how the American Rescue Plan Act benefited Clark County.
The virtual roundtable discussion included housing voucher recipients who were formerly homeless. Each person echoed a similar sentiment: Homelessness is a frightening experience that perpetuates a cycle of trauma. Once they were provided affordable housing, they had the security to reestablish their lives.
It’s important to recognize the nuance of homelessness, Aristotle Stout of Vancouver said.
“All of these people were children once. Maybe even from loving homes,” he said. “People deserve housing as a civil right.”
The bill, which was passed in March, addresses housing insecurity through its rental, utility and mortgage assistance.
Andy Silver, Vancouver Housing Authority chief operating officer, said the organization received 102 emergency vouchers from the American Rescue Plan, which invested $21.5 billion for emergency rental assistance throughout the country. VHA was the first housing authority in the state to issue all of its rental assistance vouchers through the stimulus package.
The program also leveraged other resources in the community.
“Some people were able to move from temporary housing options to a better-fit, longer-term program,” Silver said. “Then in turn, (they) opened up spots in temporary programs that helped those in desperate need.”
All vouchers were distributed on July 1 in less than 48 hours, he said. Over 70 percent of the emergency housing voucher holders finalized their leases, and the remainder are in the process of finalizing paperwork for permanent housing.
Murray emphasized the need for more funding to reduce housing insecurity through the Build Back Better Act, which would be the nation’s largest investment in affordable housing in history. The package would enable hundreds of thousands of first-generation homebuyers to build wealth through the purchase of their first home.
The proposal also allocates funding for the construction and renovation of more than 1 million homes, reduces price pressures for renters and homeowners, and creates equitable neighborhoods.
In 2019, Washington experienced the third largest increase of people experiencing homelessness. As challenges were presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of housing insecurity and homelessness also increased, Murray said. She added that one in 10 renters were not caught up on their rent in the fall.
“We can’t stop here. We’re working now on the Build Back Better Plan with more long-term solutions to housing,” Murray said.
Senate Democrats are finalizing the package in the coming weeks.
The discussion between Murray and voucher recipients can be found on her YouTube channel.
