Bill Overview
Title: Housing for Homeless Students Act of 2022
Description: This bill extends eligibility for the low-income housing tax credit to homeless youth and veterans who are full-time students during a specified time period.
Sponsors: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
Target Audience
Population: Homeless youth and veterans who are full-time students
Estimated Size: 200000
- The bill targets homeless youth who are full-time students, who are often young adults or late teenagers.
- Homeless youth often have barriers to stable housing due to lack of family support and insufficient income.
- The bill also targets homeless veterans, a known demographic with housing instability issues due to post-service reintegration challenges.
- Veterans who are full-time students may be utilizing education benefits or seeking career transitions.
- Full-time student enrollment gives a fixed numerical scope since educational institutions have enrollment data.
Reasoning
- The bill targets a very specific population: homeless youth and veterans who are full-time students. These individuals are likely to face significant challenges related to housing stability, which in turn affects their overall wellbeing.
- Given the target group of homeless students consists primarily of young adults, they may experience rapid improvement in wellbeing once basic needs are met through stable housing, allowing them to focus more on their education and future.
- The impact on veterans may vary depending on age and previous experiences. Veterans as full-time students could stabilize housing needs faster if they leverage the housing security to ease into civilian life and manage educational and fiscal responsibilities.
- A projected target population of 200,000 in the USA aligns with the policy estimates. The budget constraints ensure that the policy cannot serve all simultaneously, leading to a phased beneficiary approach.
- The allocation of funds will likely prioritize those at highest risk or the largest concentration of target beneficiaries, such as urban campuses with high homeless student populations.
- The policy's ten-year budget allowance indicates an ongoing support mechanism, crucial for allowing long-term wellbeing improvements and preventing return to homelessness.
- By including a Cantril wellbeing measurement at various points in time (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, and 20 years), we can capture both immediate and long-term impact of the policy.
- Given constraints and the size of the US target population, not every interview subject will express significant change due to personal, situational, or geographic factors limiting the policy's reach.
Simulated Interviews
Full-time student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm trying to balance school and work, but it's hard without stable housing.
- This policy could really provide the stability I need to succeed in school and eventually graduate.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Veteran, full-time student (Houston, TX)
Age: 25 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I find it hard to concentrate on my studies with housing worries always in the back of my mind.
- Access to housing through this policy could lighten the load and help me focus on my future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Full-time student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 21 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I had to drop out due to stress from not having a safe place to stay.
- This policy might enable me to go back to school and finish my degree.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Veteran, part-time student (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Housing is my main problem; as soon as that's secure, I feel everything else will fall into place.
- If this policy comes through, I could potentially focus better on my courses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Full-time student (New York, NY)
Age: 20 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The high cost of living in the city makes it very hard to manage financially as a student.
- Any bit of assistance through this policy would relieve some of the pressure.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 5 |
Veteran, full-time student (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've managed to get by, but sure this policy could help those currently struggling more.
- For me, it provides peace of mind that more help is there if things take a turn.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Full-time student (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having stable housing would free up so much mental space and time that I could dedicate to academics and personal growth.
- The policy sounds like a dream come true, although I am curious how it will be implemented.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Veteran, student part-time (Orlando, FL)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With the added stress of childcare, housing stability would provide a world of difference.
- This policy would allow me to redistribute finances towards childcare or educational materials.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 5 |
High school student, community college courses (Rural Michigan)
Age: 17 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Just knowing there's a chance of stable housing really motivates me to pursue higher education.
- It's tough to plan my education path when I'm not even sure where I'll be living next month.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Veteran, freelance gig worker, part-time student (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The high cost of rent is overwhelming, especially here in San Francisco.
- If this policy could offset some housing costs, my stress levels would definitely go down.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 2: $310000000 (Low: $260000000, High: $360000000)
Year 3: $320000000 (Low: $270000000, High: $370000000)
Year 5: $340000000 (Low: $290000000, High: $390000000)
Year 10: $370000000 (Low: $320000000, High: $420000000)
Year 100: $400000000 (Low: $350000000, High: $450000000)
Key Considerations
- The breadth of the eligible population (homeless youth and veterans who are full-time students) for tax credits.
- The need for partnerships with housing providers to create affordable housing projects that utilize these tax credits.
- Uncertainty in uptake rates among the eligible population can significantly affect cost estimates.