[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 78 (Friday, June 16, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6014-S6015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ENZI (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Kerry, and 
        Mrs. Murray):
  S. 3534. A bill to amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to 
provide for a YouthBuild program; read the first time.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the YouthBuild 
Transfer Act. I am pleased to be joined in this important effort by 
Senator Kennedy, the ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor and 
Pensions Committee, and Senators DeWine, Kerry, and Murray.
  This bill transfers the YouthBuild program from the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, HUD, the Department of Labor, DOL, as an 
amendment to the Workforce Investment Act, WIA. YouthBuild was enacted 
in 1992. It provides programs for young adults aged 16 to 24 to build 
or rehabilitate housing for homeless or low-income individuals in their 
communities while they study to earn their own high school diploma or 
GED. These youth gain occupational and technical skills while building 
their knowledge to help them become and remain productive participants 
in the workplace.
  By transferring YouthBuild to DOL, the program will be more closely 
aligned with and benefit from collaboration with the larger workforce 
system at the State and local levels. It will continue to serve those 
young adults most in need of these services, and enable them to serve 
their communities by building affordable housing, and assists them in 
transforming their own lives and roles in society.
  YouthBuild assists young adults not currently enrolled in school gain 
needed education, skills and knowledge. The skill and literacy 
requirements of today's and tomorrow's workplace cannot be met if we do 
not provide everyone access to lifelong education, training and 
retraining.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:
  (The bill will be printed in a future edition of the Record.)
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I am pleased to cosponsor and express my 
strong support for the YouthBuild Transfer Act which will preserve and 
extend the YouthBuild Program by transferring its operations from 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, to the Department of 
Labor, DOL.
   Last year, President Bush's budget request recommended transferring 
the operations of the YouthBuild Program from HUD to DOL. In November 
2005, I introduced the YouthBuild Transfer Act of 2005, S. 1999, to 
authorize that transfer, and it is very similar to this legislation 
being introduced today.
  I express my appreciation to Senate Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions Chairman Enzi and the ranking member, Senator 
Kennedy, for their work in developing this consensus legislation. I 
also thank Senator DeWine for his efforts in both developing this 
legislation and for his efforts to obtain funding for YouthBuild for 
many years. I believe this bill continues the bipartisan spirit which 
has been the hallmark of the YouthBuild Program.
  Poverty, neglect, abuse, and deprivation of all kinds can prevent 
people

[[Page S6015]]

from reaching their true potential. Many of those who have fallen off 
track, suffered losses, and made mistakes can recover. If given the 
opportunity, they can learn to cope with obstacles and care effectively 
about themselves, their families, and their communities. YouthBuild 
helps young people who have lost their way to turn their lives around.
  YouthBuild is a uniquely comprehensive program that offers at-risk 
youth an immediate productive role rebuilding their communities. While 
attending basic education classes for 50 percent of program time, 
students also receive job skills training in the construction field, 
personal counseling from respected mentors, a supportive peer group 
with positive values, and experience in civic engagement. They build 
houses for homeless and low-income people while earning their own GED 
or high school diploma.
  YouthBuild is built on success. During the 1960s, YouthBuild's future 
founder, Dorothy Stoneman, formed the Youth Action Program to rebuild 
homes in New York City. The successful renovation of an East Harlem 
tenement led to a citywide coalition and in 1990, led to YouthBuild 
USA, an organization created to replicate this program around the 
Nation.
  After visiting a YouthBuild site, I introduced legislation in 1992 
authorizing Federal funding for YouthBuild through the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development which was enacted into law as part of the 
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act. Since then, I have 
led a coalition of Senators in support of Federal funding for this 
important program. The $600 million that has been appropriated through 
HUD since fiscal year 1993 has leveraged over $1.5 billion of 
additional public and private investment at the local level due to the 
resourcefulness of local leaders and the high demand for YouthBuild 
programs.
  The results have been dramatic. Since 1994, YouthBuild has helped 
more than 60,000 disadvantaged youth into productive employment, higher 
education, and civic engagement across the Nation. At the same time, 
YouthBuild has helped rebuild low- and moderate-income communities by 
creating more than 15,000 units of affordable housing. Over 1,000 local 
organizations, in every State, have applied for HUD funds to bring 
YouthBuild to their communities.
  Research on 900 YouthBuild graduates, several years after they had 
completed the program showed that more than 75 percent of them were 
either employed at an average wage of $10 an hour or attending college 
and were positively contributing to their communities. Of those who had 
committed felonies, the recidivism rate was a strikingly low 15 percent 
and all studies to date have shown a recidivism rate below 20 percent 
strikingly lower than the 60 percent recidivism rate for most prison 
systems.
  Today there are over 226 YouthBuild programs in 43 States engaging 
8,000 young adults, and the number of programs could easily be 
expanded. Last year alone, 260 communities were denied YouthBuild 
funding. The demand is equally great from young people--in 2003 local 
programs turned away over 10,000 applicants solely for lack of funds, 
and in 2004 they turned away 12,000. The 20 percent cut suffered for 
fiscal year 2006 could cause the closing of 25 local programs; if the 
funds are restored and expanded, some of these closings can be averted. 
I am hopeful that the YouthBuild Transfer Act will be enacted into law. 
However, YouthBuild must continue to receive Federal funds in fiscal 
year 2007 in order to remain a successful program. President Bush 
included $50 million for YouthBuild in his fiscal year 2007 budget 
request to Congress. Senator DeWine and I have sent a letter to the 
Senate Appropriations Committee in support of $90 million for the 
program. I look forward to working with the members of the 
Appropriations Committee to insure that this critical program receives 
an increase in Federal funding next year.
  Increasing Federal funding for YouthBuild will help address critical 
national problems that cost society dearly. Over 32 percent of 
America's youth are dropping out of high school with no prospect of 
becoming gainfully employed, contributing members of society, 
taxpayers, and in inner-city communities, that percentage- rises toward 
50. States are spending $36,000 per year per person to house 365,000 16 
to 24 year olds, 65 percent of whom have dropped out of high school. In 
addition, the construction industry is short 80,000 workers. 
Furthermore, in the aftermath of Katrina, the need for construction 
workers is increasing, and YouthBuild programs are a resource in the 
gulf, sending trained crews to Mississippi to rebuild homes as part of 
their service to the Nation.
  YouthBuild is also on the cutting edge of education reform for 
dropouts and effective re-entry for offenders. Forty YouthBuild 
programs have now been chartered by their States or authorized by their 
superintendent of schools to provide high school diplomas and to 
receive public funds as successful public schools reclaiming high 
school dropouts. In several States, the criminal justice departments 
are now supplementing HUD funds to expand capacity of YouthBuild 
programs as successful re-entry programs for ex-offenders. To maximize 
the investment already made in YouthBuild as a resource for education 
of dropouts and reentry of ex-offenders, it is imperative to keep the 
foundation of its Federal funding strong.
  I ask all of my colleagues to support the YouthBuild Transfer Act to 
allow the YouthBuild Program to expand this unique comprehensive 
program to provide at-risk youth an immediately productive role 
rebuilding their communities.

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