[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 113 (Thursday, July 10, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HOMES FOR HEROES ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 2008

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of the Homes for Heroes Act, H.R. 3329.
  The Homes for Heroes Act establishes a $200 million a year assistance 
program for supportive housing and services for low income homeless 
veterans and their families at the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, HUD, and requires at least 20,000 rental housing vouchers 
a year be made available to homeless veterans and their families. This 
important bill also creates a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs 
within HUD and requires HUD to submit an annual report to Congress on 
housing needs for veterans.
  Veterans are overrepresented in the homeless population and the VA is 
the largest single provider of direct services to homeless veterans. 
According to the VA, the number of homeless veterans has declined 21 
percent in the past year, however there are still 154,000 homeless 
veterans including 1,500 from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation 
Iraqi Freedom.
  The men and women of the armed forces who have served this country 
with honor deserve the support and resources they need to overcome 
mental, physical, and emotional wounds caused by war. Congress must 
continue fighting to ensure they receive the highest level of care and 
compensation they have so bravely earned serving this country.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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