[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN OPPOSITION TO H.R. 217

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 11, 1998

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, last week I joined five of my colleagues 
in opposing HR 217, consolidation of McKinney Homeless Programs. While 
this legislation passed overwhelmingly, it has some clear ramifications 
for my district.
  I support the block grant concept as well as the effort to provide 
local flexibility for homeless programs. However, this legislation 
institutes onerous matching requirements and caps on supportive 
services which would seriously jeopardize Portland, Oregon's existing 
network of services. HR 217 specifically provides funds for the 
construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition of permanent housing. 
While I realize these funds are needed in other communities, this 
allocation is troublesome for those communities, like Portland, where 
many of the necessary capital investments have already been made. In 
these communities, federal homeless funds are needed almost entirely 
for the maintenance of existing programs and facilities, not 
necessarily new construction. I am proud of the investment my community 
has made in permanent housing and would like to see flexibility in the 
block granting process which will allow us to maintain existing 
programs.

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