Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions - S. 2249

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. LIEBERMAN):

S. 2249. A bill to amend the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act to provide for emergency food and shelter; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Department of Homeland Security's Emergency Food and Shelter Program. This vital program enables communities nationwide to provide services to help individuals who are at risk of becoming homeless or going hungry due to an emergency or economic disaster. As a 1999 General Accounting Office report concluded, "in most areas of the United States, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program is the only source of funding for the prevention of homelessness."

I am pleased to have the support of Senator LIEBERMAN, the ranking member of the Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees this important program as well as the Department of Homeland Security generally. I commend Senator LIEBERMAN for his work on this important issue, including his efforts in the 107th Congress to pass legislation very similar to the bill that we are introducing together today.

Since its creation 21 years ago, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program has provided a helping hand to local social service organizations that assist thousands of people in need of food and shelter. This program is effective because of the way it is structured. A national board, chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, governs the program. The board itself is composed of representatives from organizations who work every day to look out for those who are less fortunate-representatives of the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, United Jewish Communities, the National Council of the Churches, the Salvation Army, and the United Way.

This program is a model for an effective public-private partnership. The volunteer participation by these charitable organizations has kept administrative costs to less than 3 percent of the total program, making even more funds directly available for communities.

Funds are distributed by the national board to local boards according to a formula that takes into account unemployment and poverty statistics in each community. Once local boards in counties and municipalities across America receive the funding, they decide how to best address the needs of their residents. These local boards are key to this process. That is because they are composed of individuals and organizations who live and work in the communities they serve. Therefore, they can best decide how to meet the needs of those who are at risk of becoming homeless.

In recent years, communities in Maine have put the funding to good use. Communities in Cumberland and Franklin Counties, for example, have used most of these funds to supplement the efforts of local soup kitchens, Meals-on Wheels programs, and food pantries. The Wayside Soup Kitchen in Portland, ME, uses this funding to enhance their efforts to provide three separate food assistance programs to those in need.

Demonstrating the flexibility of this program, communities in northern Maine's Aroostook County used more than 30 percent of their 2003 funding to address emergency shelter and housing needs. This diversity in how communities spent these funds highlights the importance of letting local organizations decide how best to spend these resources, tailored to local needs.

The Emergency Food and Shelter Program helps individuals maintain their dignity during difficult times. It also prevents dependency by providing emergency services to individuals and families on a limited basis so they can remain self-sufficient.

Although Congress has continued to provide funding, the program's authorization expired in 1994. My bill, the Emergency Food and Shelter Act of 2004, seeks to again authorize this program and provide modest increases to reflect an increasing need.

I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this legislation to help families across America who are at risk of losing their homes or going hungry because of circumstances beyond their control.