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Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008

Date: June 9, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Minors and Children


RECONNECTING HOMELESS YOUTH ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 09, 2008)

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Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5524, the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act.

I would like to thank my two good friends, Representative JOHN YARMUTH from Kentucky and Representative JUDY BIGGERT from Illinois, for their strong leadership on this important legislation to my district in south Texas and to the whole Nation.

An estimated 2.8 million youth under the age of 17 experience a homeless situation each year. Many more young adults under the age of 24 find themselves without a place to call home.

Our Nation's homeless youth are exposed to some of the harshest elements imaginable. They are exposed to the harsh elements of hot and cold weather. These homeless youth are exposed to the harsh elements of crime, of abuse and exploitation on the street. They are vulnerable to illness and physical trauma.

These homeless youth are deprived of the protective and nurturing elements that come with a home and a strong supportive family. They are robbed of the supports necessary for a productive adulthood. The Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act will reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, which provides support to youth through basic centers and shelters, transitional living programs and street outreach. This is the only Federal law targeted solely to unaccompanied youth.

I am very proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation and would like to thank the authors for including many of the provisions to improve the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act from legislation I introduced last summer. H.R. 3409, the Place to Call Home Act, is included in this bill.

Homelessness among our Nation's youth will persist until all sectors of society, including the Congress, declare that a safe place to live and a connection to permanent and loving families and communities are basic needs we will ensure for all young people. This legislation is one significant step in that direction.

I strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5524, the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act.

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