Date: 2009-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Representative CAPITO. She is an active member of the Financial Services Committee. and I thank her for managing today. Mr. Speaker. I would also like to thank Representative MICHADalso known as MICHAUD. depending on where youre fromfor his outstanding work in helping with this bill. He is a cosponsor. I thank the ranking member. SPENCER BACHUS. Of course I thank the chairman of the Financial Services Committee. Mr. BARNEY FRANK. I also would like to thank the Housing Subcommittee Chair who has worked closely with me on this project. Representative MAXINE WATERS. Mr. Speaker. the question may be posed in the mind of someone as to why w6 should pass the Homes for Heroes Act. I would like to answer this question. We need to pass this bill because. while many of us are sleeping in the sweets of life. too many of our veterans are sleeping in the streets of life. We need to pass it because. while many of us have homes and good jobs. too many of our veterans are homeless. with no jobs at all. We must pass this piece of legislation because America cant continue to be the home of the free and the land of the brave if too many of our brave veterans continue to be homeless. Mr. Speaker. the statistics are shocking. they literally shock the conscience. Veterans are 9 percent of the population and more than 25 percent of the homeless. On any given night. 131.000 veterans are homeless. and 300.000 veterans will experience homelessness at some point in the course of 1 year. Onehalf of the veterans who are homeless suffer from mental illness. twothirds suffer from alcohol or substance abuse. About 47 percent of homeless veterans are Vietnam veterans. In Texas. there are about 16.000 homeless veterans. In my city of Houston. Texas. we have about 2.500 homeless veterans. Per the National Alliance to End Homelessness. 467.000 veterans spend more than 50 percent of their income on rent. 1.5 million veterans have incomes below the poverty line. and 643.000 veterans have incomes below 50 percent of the poverty line. Mr. Speaker. America needs to pass Homes for the Heroes because our veterans need homes. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 403 would establish a Special Assistant for Veteran Affairs within HUD. It would give this person the authority to coordinate services for homeless veterans: And this would be with the States. with local authorities. and with nonprofit organizations as well. This bill establishes a $200 million assistance program in HUD for veterans for supportive housing and services for lowincome veterans. It expands the very popular and very successful HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program. authorizing 20.000 vouchers annually when funded. It authorizes $1 million in HUD grants to assist housing providers to help them provide the supportive services and thie planning necessary to fulfill the needs of our veterans. This bill would require HUD to submit an annual comprehensive report to Congress on homelessness among the veteran population. And this bill will do what is necessary as a great first step to ending homelessness among our veterans population. This bill is supported by 12 antihomelessness and veterans organizations. Mr. Speaker. if America is to continue to be the land of the free. America must provide homes for the brave. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.