Senate Proceeding 05-05-09 on May 5th, 2009 :: 2:30:40 to 2:42:10
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2:30:32 to 2:30:52( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: with that, m yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the

2:30:40 to 2:42:10( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jack Reed

2:30:53 to 2:31:13( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: senator let me commend chairman bond for his leadership on this very important legislation that is going to address one of the most significant issues facing america today. that is restoring the value in our homes, but also giving people the hope that they can stayn their homes an helping those people who are displaced

2:31:14 to 2:31:34( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: from their homes to find adequate housing. i hope to be able to offer an amendment which would address the issue of homelessness in the united states. in fact, at this junctur would like to call up amendment number 1040 to senate thpresiding officer: is there

2:31:35 to 2:31:55( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: objection to setting aside the pending amendment without objection, the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from rhode islan amendment 1040 to 1018. mr. reed: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, this legislation

2:31:56 to 2:32:20( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: is co-sponsored by senator senator boxer, senator kerry, senator lautenberg, senator lieberman, senator schumer, and senator whitehouse. it embodie legislation the saving the emergency home assistance and

2:32:22 to 2:32:43( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: housing t known ashe act. i want to commend bond. he has been -- senator bond. he has been an advocate for the housing programs, not only with his duties as a appropriations committee an share of the subcommittee. he has been a great leader in providing sensible, sound,

2:32:44 to 2:33:06( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: efficient use of taxpayers' resources to help people find affordable housing and i thank him for his assistance today, along with all of the other co-sponsors. this particular amendment, again, related to the legislation is endorsed by the national alliance of homelessness, the league of

2:33:07 to 2:33:32( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: cities, naco, habitat for humanity, lisk, the enterprise low income housing coalition, the corporation for supportive housing, the national equity fund, the housing assistance council and the national community development association. in effect, it support.

2:33:34 to 2:33:54( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: according to the homelessness institution, 3.5 million americans experience homelessness each year. on any one night 271,000 men, women, and children are without a home. while strides have been made to reduce economic decline has halted such progress.

2:33:55 to 2:34:15( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: today i saw a front page article in the u.s. photograph of a tent growing. this is a phenomenon that we thought was an artifact of history. something in the great depression. but too often people now without shelter are using any means to just shield themselves from the elements. there are organizations in every

2:34:16 to 2:34:36( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: community there are organizations in my home state like ames house that has dedicated themselves to helping those without homes. they have seen an increased demand. they are seeing at t a private support as the economic downturn accelerates.

2:34:37 to 2:34:57( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: and it is a crisis that requires a response. across the country as i mentioned we have already seen tent cities forming. shelters are turning away people in need. and in most major cities they are reporting double-digit increases in the number of families that experience homelessness. i think there's a tendency to

2:34:58 to 2:35:18( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: view homelessness as something that happens to a few unfortunate adults, men and women. but too many families, too many children are w as foreclosure and unemployment rates continue to rise, more families are pushed out of their homes and not everyone ends up in the street. some are able to move in with friends, with family, but they can't afford a home of their own

2:35:19 to 2:35:39( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: and they can't find a good job at this moment to get back on their fee. we haven't seen this level of displacement since the great depression. and that's why i'm offering the homeless emergency assistance and rapid act of 2009 a this legislation, the helping families save their homes act. the banking committee

2:35:40 to 2:36:01( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: i'm a member, has worked long and hard on this legislation, which i believe has resulted in a very strong piece of legislation. this amendment, senator bond's amendment, our colleagues' amendment, would assistance homeless grant programs and provide local communities with greater

2:36:02 to 2:36:23( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: flexibility to spend money on preventing homelessness. while strives have been made to current economic decline has halted that progress. as a result of the recession 1.5 million additional americans nationwide are experience homelessness over the next two years according to estimates by the national

2:36:24 to 2:36:44( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: alliance to end homelessness. in rhode numbers show that homelessness is up 43% since february of 2008. the number of sheltered redents who cited foicialg as a reason for being -- foreclosure as a reason for

2:36:45 to 2:37:05( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: being homeless has gone up. in addition to the 2.2 -- $2.02 u.d. homelessness program, the hearth act would provide up to $480 million to serve those who are not homeless but are at the risk of being homeless. that, i think, is in accord with

2:37:06 to 2:37:26( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: the sena people from losing their homes. it would allow cities and towns to serve people who are about to be evicted who live i severely crowded housing or lives in an un them at risk of homelessness.

2:37:27 to 2:37:48( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: the mope could be used to -- the money could be used to pay for utility and short and medium-term rental assistance. again, using short-term help to help people stay in their homes. this act, this amendment, would increase the emphasis on applicant's progress of reducing

2:37:49 to 2:38:10( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: homelessness and providing incentives for proven. this is a measure and this is a contribution, i think, that has been made by my co-sponsors to not just provide resources but also accountability to fund those programs that work, to streamline the process of

2:38:11 to 2:38:31( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: application, to make it more effective to help people stay in their homes. toda are living on the edge and the safety net is not as big or as durable as it used to this bipartisan legislation combines federal dollars with new incentives to help local the brink of becoming homeless.

2:38:32 to 2:38:52( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: it's a wise investment of federal resources that will save taxpayers money in the long run by preventing homelessness, pr permanent supportive housing and optimizing self-sufficiency. finally, i want to talk briefly about the definition of homelessness.

2:38:53 to 2:39:14( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: the hearth act, this amendment which encompasses legislation expands the h.u.d. definition of homelessness which deters much of the eligibility. to include people who will lose their housing in 14 days. any family or individual fleeing or attempting to flee domestic vients or other containg --

2:39:15 to 2:39:37( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: violence or other dangerous situations and families with children and who have experienced a long-term period without living independently have experienced persiste can be expected to continue in such a status for a period due to a number of factors such as disabilitiy. that would be the definition.

2:39:38 to 2:40:00( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: it would also allow grattees to use up to an additional 10% of competitive funds to serve families to find as homeless under the education department homeless definition, which is a broader definition, because its purpose is to provide universal the heart of our system of public education.

2:40:01 to 2:40:22( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: it's not defined similar to that education department. but it gives the localities the flexibility to u to service those people since they fall under the definition. up to 100% of funds could be used for such purposes that could include most of the rural

2:40:23 to 2:40:43( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: areas that will be this legislation. the hearth act provides communities with greater funds to prevent homelessness. whether it is the rural housing assistance program that would grant rural communities greater discretion in addressing the needs of homeless people or those in the worst housing situations in their communities.

2:40:44 to 2:41:06( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: this amendment allows people to help people who are not them from becoming homeless. there is some tensions on this definition issue, but we have built in flexibility a the local level to extend support to those who might be defined under the education definition while at

2:41:07 to 2:41:27( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: he's sense the underlying h.u.d. definition. i think this is a sensible approach to an extraordinaire -- extraordinarily difficult program. the "no child left behind" act is targeted at a premise of universal education for all of our citizens. we are working, we hope, toward universal access to affordable

2:41:28 to 2:41:50( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: housing and this legislation is an important step forward and i think a sensible step. while i hope that all of my colleagues join me, and co-sponsors, particularly senator much, and consider important amendment. the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. dodd: i'm very pleased to

2:41:51 to 2:42:12( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: work with our friend from rhode island on this matter and strongly support this amendment as well. this is a good bill that we have. it's an underlying bill, it is a better bill because of what senator reed and senator bond added. it is value added. it is 1 that my colleague from rhode island has been involved in for virtually the entire time he has been in the senate.