[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 119 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 119

Expressing the sense of the Congress that involuntary homelessness for 
     families, women, and children in America should be eliminated.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2012

   Mr. Conyers (for himself and Ms. Lee of California) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that involuntary homelessness for 
     families, women, and children in America should be eliminated.

Whereas according to the nonprofit organization Doorways for Women and Families, 
        there are approximately 600,000 families experiencing homelessness in 
        the United States each year, which constitutes approximately 50 percent 
        of the homeless population during the year;
Whereas homeless families constitute approximately 50 percent of the homeless 
        population during each year;
Whereas the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that in the next 3 
        years, homelessness in the United States could increase by 5 percent, or 
        74,000 individuals;
Whereas the number of families experiencing homelessness increased by an average 
        of 15 percent;
Whereas homeless families are under considerable stress, move frequently, and 
        many are living in difficult living situations, such as overcrowded 
        shelters or the apartments of relatives and friends;
Whereas according to The National Center on Family Homelessness, 84 percent of 
        families experiencing homelessness are headed by females;
Whereas according to The National Center on Family Homelessness, 29 percent of 
        adults in homeless families are working;
Whereas according to The National Center on Family Homelessness, over 92 percent 
        of homeless mothers have experienced severe physical or sexual abuse 
        during their lifetimes;
Whereas 50 percent of homeless mothers have experienced a major depressive 
        episode;
Whereas according to a report issued in 2010 by The National Center on Family 
        Homelessness, there are more than 1,600,000 homeless children in the 
        United States;
Whereas the number of homeless children has increased by 38 percent during the 
        current economic recession;
Whereas according to The National Center on Family Homelessness, one-fifth of 
        homeless children are separated from their immediate family at some 
        point;
Whereas according to a 2006 report by the United States Conference of Mayors, 55 
        percent of the cities surveyed reported that homeless families may have 
        to break up in order to be sheltered;
Whereas at least 30 percent of children in foster care could return to their 
        home if their parents had housing;
Whereas according to Doorways For Women and Families, homeless children between 
        the ages of 6 and 17 years of age struggle with high rates of mental 
        health problems, and 47 percent have problems with anxiety, depression, 
        or withdrawal compared to 18 percent of other school age children;
Whereas according to Doorways For Women and Families, homeless children get sick 
        twice as often as other children, have twice as many ear infections, 4 
        times more asthma attacks, 5 times more stomach problems, 6 times more 
        speech problems, twice as many hospitalizations, and go hungry twice as 
        often as other children;
Whereas according to Doorways For Women and Families, homeless children are four 
        times more likely to have developmental delays, twice as likely to have 
        learning disabilities, and twice as likely to repeat a grade;
Whereas according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the rise in 
        homelessness over the past 25 years is due to a growing shortage of 
        affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty and 
        unemployment;
Whereas according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the rise in home 
        foreclosures has increased the number of people experiencing 
        homelessness;
Whereas according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, a lack of 
        affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs 
        have contributed to the current housing crisis and homelessness;
Whereas according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, most cities 
        across the country have long waiting lists for public housing and 
        apartments subsidized under the section 8 rental assistance program due 
        to insufficient Federal funding;
Whereas according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there are 
        approximately 10,000,000 extremely low-income renter households in the 
        United States and only 6,500,000 affordable housing units;
Whereas the United States has more than enough resources to provide safe, 
        decent, and affordable housing for all families, women, and children;
Whereas America needs a ``housing first'' policy that includes transitional 
        housing for those with special needs, community living opportunities, 
        and affordable rental apartments and homes that are available for all 
        families, women, and children;
Whereas there are cities and towns across America where local housing 
        authorities and nonprofit housing organizations, such as Habitat For 
        Humanity, the Local Initiatives Support Coalition, and the Enterprise 
        Foundation, have created scores of affordable and high quality 
        apartments and neighborhood associations for low-income families that 
        are connected to public transportation and employment corridors;
Whereas Federal programs that expand affordable housing programs for the 
        involuntary homeless should encourage program participants to look for 
        work in a timely and reasonable manner;
Whereas the collapse of the residential housing market has resulted in an 
        unemployment rate in the construction industry of 17 percent; and
Whereas according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, every 
        $10,000,000,000 dollars spent through the National Housing Trust Fund 
        will create 122,000 new jobs in the construction trades and 30,000 new 
        ongoing jobs in the operation of the rental housing: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) given the severe emotional, health, and financial 
        consequences that result from being homeless, involuntary 
        homelessness for families, women, and children should be 
        eliminated;
            (2) the Federal Government should, to the maximum extent 
        possible, provide adequate funding for the rental housing 
        voucher program under section 8 of the United States Housing 
        Act of 1937, the Community Development Block Grant program, and 
        the HOME Investment Partnerships program, so States, 
        municipalities, and public housing agencies can partner with 
        nonprofit and for-profit housing developers to renovate, 
        construct, and provide affordable housing opportunities for all 
        involuntarily homeless families, women, and children;
            (3) legislation should be enacted that provides to the 
        National Housing Trust Fund the $1,000,000,000 amount requested 
        in the President's Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request; and
            (4) the Federal Government should move away from a 
        ``shelter first'' housing policy and instead promote a 
        ``housing first'' policy that provides employment and training 
        opportunities, transportation, and other self-sufficiency 
        services to help the involuntarily homeless.
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