Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13) today won subcommittee passage for legislation she authored to redefine how the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) helps homeless kids.  Her bill was approved today by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing, and Community Opportunity by voice vote. 

           “Every child should have a safe place to sleep at night and a chance at a brighter future,” said Biggert, who Co-Chairs the House Caucus on Homelessness and is Chairman of the Subcommittee.  “This bipartisan legislation would cut through the red tape at HUD that is currently barring some of our most vulnerable kids from accessing the help they need.”

           H.R. 32, the Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2011, 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.  As a result, a child who is “couch surfing” or staying in a motel may qualify for homeless services from the Department of Education, but not from HUD.

           “Under my bill, a child working with the homeless liaison at a local school district would be eligible for transitional housing and services from HUD without having to fight through a new layer of federal bureaucracy.” said Biggert.  “Today’s vote is an important victory for homeless kids, and the sooner we send H.R. 32 to the President, the better.”

           Biggert’s bill was the subject of a December 15^th hearing, during which six current and former homeless children and youth, ages 11 and up, testified regarding their own struggles to secure help.  The hearing was held just days after the release of a new study 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 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.  The proposal also would result in previously unidentified homeless children being counted in HUD’s reports, a key goal of advocates who argue that HUD regularly underestimates the number of homeless youth. 

           “HUD’s figures only account for up to 72 percent of the homeless children already identified by other federal agencies,” said Biggert.  “Whether they are in a motel or jumping from couch to couch, these kids need help.”

           H.R. 32 is supported by a broad array of homeless, education, and child advocacy organizations.  These include the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, First Focus Campaign for Children, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the Chicago Teachers Union, the National Parent Teacher Association, National Network to End Domestic Violence, and others.

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