IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 119 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that involuntary homelessness for 
families, women, and children in America should be eliminated. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 24, 2012 
Mr. CONYERS (for himself and Ms. LEE of California) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
Services 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that involuntary home-
lessness for families, women, and children in America 
should be eliminated. 
Whereas according to the nonprofit organization Doorways 
for Women and Families, there are approximately 
600,000 families experiencing homelessness in the United 
States each year, which constitutes approximately 50 per-
cent of the homeless population during the year; 
Whereas homeless families constitute approximately 50 per-
cent of the homeless population during each year; 
Whereas the National Alliance to End Homelessness esti-
mates that in the next 3 years, homelessness in the 
United States could increase by 5 percent, or 74,000 in-
dividuals; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:23 Apr 25, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC119.IH
HC119
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HCON 119 IH 
Whereas at least 30 percent of children in foster care could 
return to their home if their parents had housing; 
Whereas according to Doorways For Women and Families, 
homeless children between the ages of 6 and 17 years of 
age struggle with high rates of mental health problems, 
and 47 percent have problems with anxiety, depression, 
or withdrawal compared to 18 percent of other school age 
children; 
Whereas according to Doorways For Women and Families, 
homeless children get sick twice as often as other chil-
dren, have twice as many ear infections, 4 times more 
asthma attacks, 5 times more stomach problems, 6 times 
more speech problems, twice as many hospitalizations, 
and go hungry twice as often as other children; 
Whereas according to Doorways For Women and Families, 
homeless children are four times more likely to have de-
velopmental delays, twice as likely to have learning dis-
abilities, and twice as likely to repeat a grade; 
Whereas according to the National Coalition for the Home-
less, the rise in homelessness over the past 25 years is 
due to a growing shortage of affordable rental housing 
and a simultaneous increase in poverty and unemploy-
ment; 
Whereas according to the National Coalition for the Home-
less, the rise in home foreclosures has increased the num-
ber of people experiencing homelessness; 
Whereas according to the National Coalition for the Home-
less, a lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of 
housing assistance programs have contributed to the cur-
rent housing crisis and homelessness; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:23 Apr 25, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC119.IH
HC119
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HCON 119 IH 
Whereas according to the National Low Income Housing Co-
alition, most cities across the country have long waiting 
lists for public housing and apartments subsidized under 
the section 8 rental assistance program due to insuffi-
cient Federal funding; 
Whereas according to the National Low Income Housing Co-
alition, there are approximately 10,000,000 extremely 
low-income renter households in the United States and 
only 6,500,000 affordable housing units; 
Whereas the United States has more than enough resources 
to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for all 
families, women, and children; 
Whereas America needs a ‘‘housing first’’ policy that includes 
transitional housing for those with special needs, commu-
nity living opportunities, and affordable rental apart-
ments and homes that are available for all families, 
women, and children; 
Whereas there are cities and towns across America where 
local housing authorities and nonprofit housing organiza-
tions, such as Habitat For Humanity, the Local Initia-
tives Support Coalition, and the Enterprise Foundation, 
have created scores of affordable and high quality apart-
ments and neighborhood associations for low-income fam-
ilies that are connected to public transportation and em-
ployment corridors; 
Whereas Federal programs that expand affordable housing 
programs for the involuntary homeless should encourage 
program participants to look for work in a timely and 
reasonable manner; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:23 Apr 25, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC119.IH
HC119
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HCON 119 IH 
Whereas the collapse of the residential housing market has 
resulted in an unemployment rate in the construction in-
dustry of 17 percent; and 
Whereas according to the National Low Income Housing Co-
alition, every $10,000,000,000 dollars spent through the 
National Housing Trust Fund will create 122,000 new 
jobs in the construction trades and 30,000 new ongoing 
jobs in the operation of the rental housing: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) given the severe emotional, health, and fi-
nancial consequences that result from being home-
less, involuntary homelessness for families, women, 
and children should be eliminated; 
(2) the Federal Government should, to the max-
imum extent possible, provide adequate funding for 
the rental housing voucher program under section 8 
of the United States Housing Act of 1937, the Com-
munity Development Block Grant program, and the 
HOME Investment Partnerships program, so States, 
municipalities, and public housing agencies can part-
ner with nonprofit and for-profit housing developers 
to renovate, construct, and provide affordable hous-
ing opportunities for all involuntarily homeless fami-
lies, women, and children; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:23 Apr 25, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HC119.IH
HC119
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HCON 119 IH 
(3) legislation should be enacted that provides 
to 
the 
National 
Housing 
Trust 
Fund 
the 
$1,000,000,000 amount requested in the President’s 
Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request; and 
(4) the Federal Government should move away 
from a ‘‘shelter first’’ housing policy and instead 
promote a ‘‘housing first’’ policy that provides em-
ployment and training opportunities, transportation, 
and other self-sufficiency services to help the invol-
untarily homeless. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:23 Apr 25, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HC119.IH
HC119
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS