Senate Passes Legislation Introduced by Senator Scott and Colleagues to Provide More Housing for Veterans and Low-income Communities

Washington – The Senate has overwhelmingly passed the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Robert Menendez (D-NJ)and colleagues that focuses on instituting federal reforms that will improve families’ access to high-opportunity areas and quality of life while cutting overall program costs.

Senator Scott said that it was a privilege to be a part of this initiative, which also worksto combat homelessness and help our nation’s veterans, and that it will benefitthe communities which need it most.

“Americans want action, they want to see their elected officials working on programs and reforms that will improve their neighborhoodsandlead towards a future filled with opportunity,” Sen. Scott said. “Our bill transcends party lines, and is a perfect demonstration of the good that can happen when we put our political views aside and we focus on a common goal.”

The bill’s specific details include expanding access to higher opportunity areas by allowing recipients to use housing vouchers to move to areas with less poverty and less crime. It will also minimize homelessness by creating more vacancies in “project-based” housing, and will strengthen work incentives by delaying rent increases for tenants who start employment or whose earnings rise because they get better paying jobs.

In the Senate, this legislation was a bipartisan effort between Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE),andRoy Blunt (R-MO). It is now headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law.