[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 62 (Wednesday, May 18, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    INTRODUCTION OF THE PERMANENT HOUSING FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES ACT

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                          HON. FLOYD H. FLAKE

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 18, 1994

  Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing along with my 
colleagues, Messrs. Peterson of Minnesota, Rangle of New York, Frank of 
Massachusetts, and Vento of Minnesota, the Permanent Housing for 
Homeless Families Act. This legislation would improve the way the 
Federal Government spends Federal dollars. Instead of pouring millions 
of dollars into costly welfare hotels to shelter homeless families, the 
bill would permit States to develop cost-effective permanent housing 
alternatives. Further, homeless families would no longer be subject to 
living in dilapidated hotels with poor living conditions and inadequate 
services.
  Last fall, Chairman Peterson of the Government Operations 
Subcommittee on Employment, Housing and Aviation and I held a hearing 
to explore the issue of welfare hotels. The findings of this hearing 
explicitly confirmed the urgent need for legislation to responsibly 
alleviate the hotels. In response, we drafted the Permanent Housing for 
Homeless Families Act.
  Because the responsibility of welfare hotels straddle two agencies--
HHS and HUD--and because so many Americans are in desperate need of 
basic shelter, I clearly understand that alleviating welfare hotels has 
been complex yet long overdue. We must find a solution that spans 
jurisdictional issues. The common mission of these two agencies are to 
meet the basic needs of this Nation and I know they sincerely want this 
issue to be resolved. This departmental coordination demonstrates true 
reinventing government, an effort for the Federal Government to better 
and more efficiently serve this Nation.

  One point is clear, we cannot continue this cycle of throwing away 
millions of Government dollars with absolutely no return on our 
investment. In New York, we are spending an average of $2,640 per month 
for 1,442 families. This number translates to over 562 families in my 
district alone. With this kind of money, we could live in a mansion or 
decently house three or four families. But with the current spending 
structure, at the end of the year we have nothing to show for these 
millions of dollars.
  Beyond inefficiencies and Government waste, there are real people 
behind these statistics, many of whom are children. Yes, welfare hotels 
do provide a temporary roof. However, in many cases hotels do not 
provide a kitchen, provisions for basic health care, education and 
jobs, sanitation, safety or security. Often these hotels are rodent 
ridden, filled of crime and prostitution. Studies have shown time and 
again that children cannot thrive in this kind of atmosphere. Without 
hope, we cannot expect these children to thrive and eventually become 
productive and well-adjusted adults. We are allowing a generation of 
innocent children to slip away from us when it is our power to stop 
this cycle.
  The Permanent Housing for Homeless Families Act makes good common 
sense to accomplish a variety of Federal goals: reinventing government, 
efficient allocating Federal dollars, responsibly alleviating welfare 
hotels, and ultimately, decently and humanely housing every American.

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