[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

SENATE RESOLUTION 479--DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 2023 AS ``NATIONAL HOMELESS 
                  CHILDREN AND YOUTH AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. MANCHIN (for himself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Hassan, Ms. 
Cantwell, Mr. Reed, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Coons, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Ossoff) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 479

       Whereas, in the United States, public schools identified 
     approximately 1,200,000 enrolled homeless children and youth 
     during the 2021 to 2022 school year;
       Whereas an estimated 1,000,000 children younger than 6 
     years of age in 2020 to 2021, and approximately 4,200,000 
     youth and young adults in 2017, experienced homelessness, 
     with many of those children, youth, and young adults staying 
     on couches, in motels, in shelters, or outside;
        Whereas infants experiencing homelessness are at a higher 
     risk for certain illnesses and health conditions;
       Whereas families experiencing homelessness are more likely 
     to experience involvement in the child welfare system and 
     difficulty with school attendance;
       Whereas, in 2021, high school students experiencing 
     homelessness were nearly twice as likely to have seriously 
     considered suicide or made a suicide plan and more than 3 
     times as likely to have made a suicide attempt within the 
     past year;
       Whereas individuals without a high school degree or general 
     educational development certificate are over 4.5 times more 
     likely to report homelessness than their peers who completed 
     high school, making lack of education the leading risk factor 
     for homelessness;
       Whereas, in 2018, the high school graduation rate for 
     students experiencing homelessness was 68 percent, compared 
     to 80 percent for low-income students and 85.5 percent for 
     all students;
       Whereas the rate of youth homelessness is the same in 
     rural, suburban, and urban areas;
       Whereas 29 percent of unaccompanied homeless youth between 
     13 and 25 years of age have spent time in foster care, 
     compared to approximately 6 percent of all children;
       Whereas homelessness among children and youth is a complex 
     issue that often occurs with deep poverty, low education and 
     employment levels, substance misuse and use disorders, mental 
     health disorders, lack of affordable housing, and family 
     conflict; and
       Whereas awareness of child and youth homelessness must be 
     heightened to encourage greater support for effective 
     programs to help children and youth overcome homelessness: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the efforts of businesses, governments, 
     organizations, educators, and volunteers dedicated to meeting 
     the needs of homeless children and youth;
       (2) applauds the initiatives of businesses, governments, 
     organizations, educators, and volunteers that--
       (A) use time and resources to raise awareness of child and 
     youth homelessness, the causes of child and youth 
     homelessness, and potential solutions; and
       (B) work to prevent homelessness among children and youth;
       (3) designates November 2023 as ``National Homeless 
     Children and Youth Awareness Month''; and
       (4) encourages businesses, governments, organizations, 
     educators, and volunteers to continue to intensify their 
     efforts to address homelessness among children and youth 
     during November 2023.

                          ____________________