Chester County’s housing authority is one of just nine nationwide to receive millions in federal funding for housing vouchers. It joins major metropolitan areas, such as Los Angeles and New York, in an ambitious initiative to provide families with better living conditions — and all its associated benefits. Kelly Rule covered the outreach, the Housing Choice Mobility Demonstration Program, for FOX 29.

At its core, the program aims to study whether changing the ZIP Code in which a child is raised ultimately provides a better life.

Currently, nearly 50 percent of Chester County’s vouchers are in Coatesville. Families that use vouchers can choose to live anywhere. But there are barriers: security deposits, application fees, and landlords unwilling to rent to voucher recipients.

The grant makes it possible to cover some of these costs. It also incentivizes landlords to consider these tenants, providing bonuses.

“We can pay for the security deposit; we can pay for moving,” said Dale Gravett, the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Chester County. “We can compete evenly with the person with a checkbook in their pocket.”

The program is expected to start in January 2022.

Read more about the program at FOX 29.