Tell Legislators to Fund the 5000 Families Program in the State Budget!

Our Ask

Support the 5000 Families pilot program (102#11s Locke/Pillion, 102#9h Coyner) which would provide rent relief over a three-year period to 5,000 low-income families with school-aged and younger children across Virginia. To fund the pilot program, we request a one-time investment of $80 million in FY26.  

Pilot Program Overview

The 5000 Families pilot program invests in the future of Virginia students and families by providing rent relief and assistance with housing costs. For the purposes of the program, qualifiying families, those that make 50% of the Area Median Income and include at least one member 16 years of age or younger, may receive assistance to stay in their home or find another home of their choice. The Department of Housing and Community Development will administer the program in partnership with local and regional organizations, with a priority for collaboration with local school divisions and McKinney Vento Liaisons. We support this program because it will empower children by ensuring they have a stable home and thus a strong foundation for success at school and beyond.

Current Housing Challenges

• Over half of Virginian renter households are cost burdened, meaning that they pay more than 30% of their income on housing costs. 
• Approximately 347,000 Virginians who qualify for federal rental assistance –the Federal Housing Choice Voucher program -- are unable to access critical support due to a lack of funding from Congress. 
• According to Project Hope-Virginia, 19,475 students across all of Virginia’s local school divisions were identified as homeless in the 2022-2023 academic year. Recent estimates suggest that number rose to over 20,000 in the 2023-2024 school year, matching pre-pandemic levels of student homelessness across the state.  
• Of the 7.6 million individuals across the U.S. facing eviction each year, nearly 40%—2.9 (2.7 to 3.2) million—were children. The average eviction case filed in America involved roughly one child under age 18. 

Economic Impact

• As Virginia seeks to grow its economy through the expansion of its workforce, it is critical that we equip parents with the resources they need to ensure the best possible education for their children, including a place to call home.   

Educational Impact

• School-aged children are more likely to excel at school and be positioned for lifelong success when they have a stable and permanent home. 
• Numerous studies indicate that children who change schools or are frequently absent experience declines in educational achievement. These are two of the most common consequences of housing instability. 
• According to the Department of Education, student absenteeism in Virginia nearly doubled between 2019 and 2022. 
• Children whose families achieve housing stability through rental assistance have substantially higher adult earnings and rates of college attendance than children who are not able to access such assistance, according to a well-respected national research study. The entire community benefits when families are stably housed.