Senator Al Franken and Reps. Keith Ellison and Erik Paulsen have introduced a bipartisan measure to help make sure that Minnesota students who have faced homelessness can put a roof over their heads while they pursue an education.

This commonsense bill, the Housing for Homeless Students Act, would close a loophole that prevents many full-time college students. including student Veterans, from qualifying for affordable rental housing.

"Too many young people and veterans in Minnesota and across the country can't focus on their education because they don't know where they're going to sleep at night," said Sen. Franken, a member of the Senate Education Committee. "Nobody should have to face that kind of crisis-especially during a Minnesota winter. Our bipartisan bill will help address this problem by allowing full-time students who have experienced homelessness to qualify for a key rental affordability tax credit."

"We shouldn't be asking our children to decide between a home and a better future," said Rep. Ellison. "These at-risk kids want to go to school. We should be encouraging their desire to do so by opening the door to education, opportunity, and a better way of life."

"The rigors of being a full-time student are challenging enough without also facing the difficulties of nowhere to call home, which is something no young person or veteran, especially after serving our country, should have to deal with in Minnesota," said Rep. Paulsen. "This bipartisan effort fixes a harmful, counterproductive loophole that prevents these students from being able to pursue an education, career, and better life. These are people who are looking to lift themselves up, and this commonsense initiative will help them do so."

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program provides a reduction in tax liability for developers that build or rehabilitate affordable rental housing units. LIHTC has been used successfully to build properties intended to house individuals and families who experience homelessness. However, current law does not allow tenants, including homeless and formerly homeless individuals, to be full-time students.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Franken and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in the Senate and by Reps. Ellison and Paulsen in the House of Representatives, would fix that problem by allowing full-time students who experience or have recently experienced homelessness to become eligible-or retain eligibility-for LIHTC housing.