Homes For Heroes Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

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Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 403, the Homes for Heroes Act of 2009. I am proud to be a cosponsor and would like to recognize the leadership of Representative AL GREEN who introduced this very important bill last Congress, which passed the House Floor. This bill upholds the principle that those who served our Nation honorably should not have to live on the streets or in shelters.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 150,000 to 200,000 American veterans are living on the streets or in shelters. And nearly 300,000 veterans may experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.

The Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee, which I chair, held a hearing on this bill during the 110th Congress and heard from witnesses how the return of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan would greatly increase demand for affordable housing and social services in communities across the country.

Since then, the economy has only worsened and the number of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan continues to increase. Furthermore, many veterans are at greater risk of becoming homeless because they struggle with health and economic issues, while facing a shortage of affordable housing.

That is why H.R. 403 is so important. This bill would create a new program where none existed before to develop permanent supportive housing for the homeless veterans who need it. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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