On behalf of Children’s HealthWatch, we write in strong support of direct rental assistance and other policy changes to the voucher program that will increase housing choice, mobility, and stability.

On behalf of Children’s HealthWatch, we write in strong support of direct rental assistance and other policy changes to the voucher program that will increase housing choice, mobility, and stability. [...] As HUD moves forward with such a pilot and research aimed to inform policy changes to the HCV program, we encourage the HUD team to consider the following design aspects to protect tenants and support the long-term sustainability of the HCV program. [...] In addition, ensuring that housing meets quality and safety benchmarks is vitally important to protect and support the health and well-being of resident families and children. [...] To successfully evaluate the feasibility and impact of direct rental assistance, and to ensure that families are not left worse off for their participation, it is essential that HUD ensure direct rental assistance is treated as housing assistance rather than income from a tax and benefits perspective. [...] Until these protections are established at a federal level, HUD should include additional strategies to mitigate the potential impact of loss of benefits, including benefits counseling to ensure participants adequately understand the risks and benefits of participation, and a robust hold harmless fund to compensate participating families for the loss of benefits.