[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 88 (Thursday, May 25, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           THE HOMELESS AND COMMUNITY COOPERATION ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                            HON. LINDA SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 24, 1995
  Mrs. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the 
``Community and Homeless Cooperation Act of 1995'' which will amend the 
McKinney Homeless Assistance Act.
  The Act was originally designed to make under-utilized or unutilized 
Federal buildings available for sheltering our Nation's homeless. In 
Olympia, one of the largest cities in my district, there were plans to 
make a vacant and dilapidated Federal building into a large shelter for 
the homeless yet over 30 percent of the beds for the homeless in 
Olympia's existing shelters went unused. Common sense would dictate 
that we didn't need another shelter, we needed additional resources for 
outreach and services for existing shelters.
  Recently, Thurston County commissioners in my home State of 
Washington pointed out to me in a recent letter, ``With the current 
`use it or lose it rule', a social service agency has a difficult time 
saying ``no'' to a free building--even one requiring extensive and 
expensive upgrades.'' My legislation will allow these buildings to be 
sold and a portion of the money used to help existing shelters meet 
their daily funding needs while the remainder will be returned to the 
Federal treasury exclusively to reduce the deficit. And, for the first 
time in the 7-year life of this legislation, the homeless and the 
community will have a voice in the selection of buildings to be used. 
As the Olympian, newspaper stated, ``* * * location of these services 
is key.''
  The Community and Homeless Cooperation Act of 1995 gives a city and 
its homeless a sense of community and cooperation in determining what 
is in their best interest. Through community forums to determine 
building placement or through making proceeds from sales of these 
buildings available to increase homeless assistance services on Main 
Street, we empower the people on Main Street, homeless and homeowner 
alike.


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