[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15167]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 226--RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER AS ``NATIONAL 
                    HOMELESS YOUTH AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Menendez, Mrs. Murray, 
Mr. Brown, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Obama, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Bayh, 
Mr. Feingold, Mr. Casey, Mr. Nelson of Florida, and Mr. Kennedy) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 226

       Whereas between 1,300,000 and 2,800,000 children and teens 
     are homeless in the United States each year, with many 
     staying on the streets or in emergency shelters;
       Whereas families with children are the fastest growing 
     segment of the homeless population and now make up 
     approximately \1/3\ of that population;
       Whereas homeless youth are typically too poor to secure 
     basic needs and are unable to access adequate medical or 
     mental health care;
       Whereas each day 13 homeless youth die due to physical 
     assault, illness, or suicide;
       Whereas many youth become homeless due to a lack of 
     financial and housing resources as they exit juvenile 
     corrections and foster care;
       Whereas 25 percent of foster youth experienced homelessness 
     within 2 to 4 years after exiting foster care;
       Whereas homeless youth are most often expelled from their 
     homes by their guardians after physical, sexual, or emotional 
     abuse or separated from their parents through death or 
     divorce without adequate resources; and
       Whereas awareness of the tragedy of youth homelessness and 
     its causes must be heightened so that greater support for 
     effective programs involving businesses, families, law 
     enforcement agencies, schools, and community and faith-based 
     organizations, aimed at helping youth remain off the streets 
     becomes a national priority: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the values and efforts of businesses, 
     organizations, and volunteers dedicated to meeting the needs 
     of homeless children and teens;
       (2) applauds the initiatives of businesses, organizations, 
     and volunteers that employ time and resources to build 
     awareness of the homeless youth problem, its causes, and 
     potential solutions, and work to prevent homelessness among 
     children and teens; and
       (3) should recognize the month of November as ``National 
     Homeless Youth Awareness Month'' and encourages these 
     businesses, organizations, and volunteers to continue to 
     intensify their efforts during the month of November.

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