Biggert Calls on Homeless Kids to Share their Stories with Congress

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill. (13th CD), issued the following news release:

U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13) today chaired a hearing (http://financialservices.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=271819) in Washington where lawmakers heard first-hand about the challenges facing homeless kids. The Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing, and Community Opportunity heard from a panel of six current and former homeless children and youth, ages 11 and up, including two witnesses from the Chicago area. The hearing was held just days after the release of a new study (http://www.house.gov/htbin/leave_site?ln_url=http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/media/172.pdf) by the National Center on Family Homelessness revealed that homelessness among children rose 38 percent from 2007 to 2010, with one in every 45 American kids experiencing homelessness annually.

"The kids did a remarkable job painting a picture for lawmakers that no federal report or government statistic ever could," said Biggert, who Co-Chairs the House Caucus on Homelessness. "Every child should have a safe place to sleep at night and a chance at a brighter future. That's what this hearing was all about."

Biggert's subcommittee also heard testimony from a second panel of witnesses, including representatives of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, and other local agencies. The hearing focused on Biggert's bill, H.R. 32, the Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2011, which would expand the federal definition of "homeless" to ensure that all homeless kids can qualify for HUD housing and supportive services. Under current law, many children in involuntary and unstable living arrangements cannot access certain services because the definition of "homeless" used by HUD conflicts with the definition used by other federal agencies.

"Even though I worked throughout high school, there was no way I could afford my own housing, or find someone to rent an apartment to a teenager," said the oldest youth witness, Brandon Dunlop, age 25, who was encouraged to testify by advocates at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. "Although people at school helped me with other things, nobody was able to help with my housing situation. I would have loved some place that was safe, warm and consistent to live - a healthy place to live my life, go to school, work and go to one place to do my homework and eat."

The original definition of homeless used by HUD was established in 1987 under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Congress has taken steps to expand the McKinney-Vento definition through legislation championed by Biggert and signed into law in 2002 and 2009. This January, Biggert introduced H.R. 32 to fully expand the definition to include all children and youth who are verified as homeless by other government agencies. Biggert says she hopes to secure House passage of the bill early next year.

"During the 2008 to 2009 school year, the Department of Education identified nearly one million more homeless kids than HUD identified," said Biggert. "Whether they are in a motel or jumping from couch to couch, these kids need help. Under my bill, a child working with the homeless liaison at a local school district could access transitional housing from HUD without fighting through a new layer of federal bureaucracy."

TNS mv45 111216-3718134