Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009--Continued

Floor Speech

HELPING FAMILIES SAVE THEIR HOMES ACT OF 2009--Continued -- (Senate - May 06, 2009)

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, this is a bipartisan effort to reform our homeless programs. This amendment would simplify the application process, give greater flexibility and accountability at the local level. It would also provide additional resources to prevent homelessness. We are in the midst of a huge crisis in terms of people who literally cannot find housing. We have pictures in newspapers of tent cities sprouting up all across the country. We need to act.

This amendment is bipartisan and is supported by Senator Bond and, before him, Senator ALLARD, and Senators BOXER, COLLINS, DURBIN, KERRY, LAUTENBERG, LIEBERMAN, SCHUMER, and WHITEHOUSE. It is good, sensible reform legislation that will make our programs more effective and, hopefully, prevent people from losing their homes and keep them away from these tent cities that are sprouting up. I urge its passage.

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Mr. REED. I thank the Senator for her important question. The definition of homelessness in the HEARTH Act in no way seeks to replace or change the definition of homelessness in any other statute. The definition of homelessness in the Education for Homeless Children and Youths program is critical to ensuring that homeless students have access to supports and services for their success in school. The definition of homelessness in the HEARTH Act does not and should not change or replace that education definition.

Mr. DODD. I would concur with my colleague, Mr. Reed. The definition of homelessness in the HEARTH Act is to apply to matters of housing under the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In fact, the amendment expressly states that the HUD homelessness definition is in no way meant to replace or change the definition of homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youths program.

Mrs. MURRAY. I thank the Senators. I have also worked hard on helping to encourage collaboration between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Education to ensure the best services possible for homeless youth. Is it the Senators' intent that the Department of Housing and Urban Development should do everything in its power to coordinate with the Department of Education on serving homeless youth, and to ensure that no lapse in services under the Education of Homeless Children and Youths program occurs for students as any new HEARTH Act definition of homelessness is implemented?

Mr. REED. Yes, that is my intent, and it is the intent of the amendment. We continue to work on, particularly with your leadership, encouraging strong communication and coordination between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Education on the issue of serving homeless youth. It is my intent to continue to encourage that collaboration and to work to the utmost degree, not just to prevent lapses, but to strengthen education services for homeless students while implementing the HEARTH Act.

Mr. DODD. It is also our intent that the Interagency Council on Homelessness provide increased leadership, coordination, and information on this growing issue of children, youth, and families threatened with homelessness. The amendment requires the Interagency Council to develop a government-wide plan to end homelessness, promote State planning efforts, and of course promote interagency cooperation. We will continue to work with the Council to ensure that the needs of families, children, and youth figure prominently in their efforts.

Mrs. MURRAY. This amendment will broaden HUD's definition of homelessness to include a subset of children and youth who meet the definition of homelessness used by other federal statutes. I appreciate the inclusion of these children and believe it is a step in the right direction. In particular, it covers those children and youth who: (1) have experienced a long-term period without living stably or independently in permanent housing; (2) have experienced persistent instability; and (3) who are likely to continue to do so because of disability or other barriers.

Since these concepts, such as the term ``long term period,'' are open to interpretation, is it the Senators' intent that HUD should consider the needs of children and the effects of instability on their developmental and academic progress when developing the regulations for this provision?

Mr. DODD. Yes, the committee recognizes that the expansion of the definition of homelessness to include these children and families was carried out with the intent of addressing the housing needs and challenges of children and youth who are homeless.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, by including language that acknowledges the various definitions of homeless in other Federal statutes, is it the Senators' intention that HUD funded homeless providers should be encouraged to engage with homeless providers receiving funds from other Federal agencies to utilize their assessments and counsel in making eligibility determinations.

Mr. DODD. Yes. Federal programs must work together to meet the needs of families and unaccompanied youth, and that collaboration should include information needed for eligibility decisions.

Mrs. MURRAY. I look forward to working with my colleagues and the committee on improving services for students. Lastly, I understand that this amendment prohibits the Secretary from requiring that communities conduct actual counts of families and youth who are newly added to the HUD definition in HUD-mandated homelessness counts. Am I correct that this provision does not prohibit the Secretary from requiring communities to provide estimates of those who are newly added to the definition, so that communities may have a better sense of the shelter and housing needs of all families, children, and youth who will be considered homeless by HUD under this legislation?

Mr. REED. Yes, that is the case. We are open to finding ways to quantify the number of individuals and families experiencing housing instability and look forward to working with the Senator and the administration to do so.

I thank the Senator for her questions, and I look forward to working together on improving the prevention of homelessness and the provision of services to homeless individuals and families in order to break the cycle of homelessness.

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