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Youthbuild Transfer Act

Date: Sept. 6, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Housing and Property


YOUTHBUILD TRANSFER ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 06, 2006)

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the YouthBuild Transfer Act, which would move this valuable community development program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Labor.

The YouthBuild is a program designed to offer construction job opportunities and leadership training to low-income youth while building affordable housing for low-income communities.

While the program has been located in the Department of Housing and Urban Development since its inception in 1993, this bill reflects a new understanding about how we should approach youth issues. Ultimately, the YouthBuild is a youth development program where the participants, largely at-risk young men, nearly half of whom are African Americans, have the opportunity to complete their education and prepare for future careers while developing leadership skills and learning the value of civic engagement and community service.

YouthBuild participants benefit from the strong counseling and support component of the program. Counseling through the YouthBuild helps participants navigate work and education barriers such as substance abuse, child care, and transportation.

After graduating, YouthBuild participants continue to have access to the resources that will help them explore post-secondary options, have successful careers, and become role models for other at-risk youth.

Since 1993, nearly 60,000 young people have built over 15,000 units of affordable housing. Yet this program has value that far surpasses only the development of affordable housing. This bill provides for the transition of this program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Labor and specifically as a national program under the Workforce Investment Act.

By integrating the YouthBuild into WIA programs, the program will have access to a wider range of youth employment resources. As a national program it will have the attention of the Secretary of Labor.

We welcome the program to the jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. With continued appropriations, I am confident that this program will continue to thrive in the Department of Labor.

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