NAEHCY - December 2011 Congressional Hearing on Child and Youth Homelessness



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On Thursday, December 15, 2011, the Financial Services Committee's Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing, and Community Opportunity of the U.S. Congress held a historic hearing on child and youth homelessness. The hearing featured testimony from six homeless or formerly homeless children and youth, including three homeless children under age 18, and three unaccompanied homeless youth. The children and youth spoke about the challenges of homelessness, especially about the hardships of being doubled-up, or living in motels. A second panel featured government representatives, including a local homeless education liaison (Ms. Estella Garza, of San Antonio Independent School District) and a Head Start State Collaboration Director (Dr. Grace Whitney, Director, Connecticut Head Start Collaboration Office).

The purpose of the hearing was to examine barriers that homeless children and youth face in accessing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homeless programs, including the HUD definition of homelessness. The hearing also addressed HR 32, the Homeless Children and Youth Act. H.R. 32 is bipartisan legislation that amends the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of homelessness to include children, youth, and their families who are verified as homeless by federal program personnel in four federal programs, thereby making those children, youth and families eligible for HUD Homeless Assistance programs.

Archived Video and Testimonies:

Access the archived video and testimonies at http://financialservices.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=271819.

Action Needed:

Please urge your U.S. Representative to sign on to H.R. 32. Contact information for U.S. Representatives may be found at http://www.house.gov.

More Information and Advocacy Materials:

1. A sample letter requesting co-sponsorship of HR 32 may be found microsoft word file icon

here.
2. Basic information about HR 32 may be found microsoft word file icon

here.
3. A fact sheet defending HR 32 may be found pdf file icon

here.

For More Information:

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Please contact Barbara Duffield at bduffield@naehcy.org or (202) 364-7392.