[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4892]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 2003

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I, rise today in recognition of the 
opening of Minnesota's new Transitional Housing Program for homeless 
veterans, located at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Minneapolis. 
Today's celebration is an accumulation of hard work, dedication and 
determination, reflective of Minnesota's commitment to our nation's 
veterans and a testament to the spirit of the veterans' community in 
our great state.
  Most Americans are not aware of the severity of our veterans' 
homeless problem. Nearly 25 percent of homeless people are veterans, 
and many veterans who live in poverty are at risk of becoming homeless. 
On any given night, 275,000 veterans of the United States armed 
forces--including thousands in Minnesota--are homeless, and many 
struggle with alcohol, drug, and mental challenges.
  The goal of the new Transitional Housing Program is to provide and 
coordinate preventive transitional and permanent housing and supportive 
services for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or who are in 
danger of becoming homeless. This new program will help assist 
Minnesota's homeless veterans in gaining the necessary skills required 
to successfully transition back into mainstream society.
  The most effective programs for homeless veterans feature 
transitional housing with the camaraderie of living in structured, 
substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at 
bettering themselves. Minnesota's new Transitional Housing Program 
seeks to employ these methods and provides an important community 
partnership in improving the lives of those who sacrificed so much for 
our freedom and democracy.
  As we celebrate this new program, I urge my colleagues to remember 
the thousands of homeless veterans across America that go without help 
each and every day. We must continue to support the efforts of those 
who seek to provide these honorable veterans with a better way of life.

                          ____________________