[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 29, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 29, 2011

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, research tells us that veterans are over 
represented in the homeless population. VA is the largest single 
provider of homeless services reaching about 25 percent of that 
population.
  VA operates a wide variety of homeless veterans programs designed to 
provide outreach, supportive services, health care as well as 
counseling and treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. 
They rely heavily on their partnerships with the community and faith 
based organizations to provide these services.
  Many of VA's homeless population:
  Have had a serious psychiatric problem defined as psychosis, mood 
disorder or PTSD.
  Were dependent on alcohol and/or drugs.
  Were dually diagnosed with serious psychiatric and substance abuse 
problems.
  Have suffered from a serious medical problem.
  The number of homeless women veterans is rising.
  Prior to becoming homeless, a large number of veterans at risk have 
struggled with PTSD or have addictions acquired during, or worsened by, 
their military service. These conditions can interrupt their ability to 
keep a job, establish savings, and in some cases, maintain family 
harmony.
  Veterans' family, social, and professional networks may have been 
broken due to extensive mobility while in service or lengthy periods 
away from their hometowns and their civilian jobs. These problems are 
directly traceable to their experience in military service or to their 
return to civilian society without having had appropriate transitional 
supports.
  VA reports that approximately 1,500 homeless veterans are from 
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn. This is a growing 
population. It took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans 
to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the 
homeless.
  Concern has been expressed by many that such an early showing of more 
recent veterans in the homeless population does not bode well. It is 
also believed that the intense repeated deployments leave newer 
veterans particularly vulnerable.
  We know the Department of Veterans Affairs has many programs to 
address currently homeless veterans, and they do a great job. However, 
the most important piece to ending homelessness among the Nation's 
veteran population is to prevent it in the first place.
  It is unacceptable that even one of our veterans sleep on the streets 
or in shelters after risking their lives on behalf of this country.
  My legislation, H.R. 806, will go a long way in strengthening our 
efforts to ultimately end homelessness.
  This bill increases funding to successful programs for homeless 
veterans; requires each VA medical center that provides supporting 
housing services to provide housing counselors; requires housing 
counselors to conduct landlord research; strengthens permanent housing 
programs, and pays special interest to the needs of homeless women 
veterans and homeless veterans with children.
  The time to act is now. We cannot afford to let history repeat 
itself.
  I urge your support of this important legislation.

                          ____________________