The Congressional Caucus on Homelessness, in conjunction with the National Center on Family Homelessness, hosted a congressional briefing entitled “Homelessness in America: Experiences & Solutions in the 113thCongress.” Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson serves as co-chair and co-founder of the Caucus.
“I have worked extensively with national organizations and federal agencies in this field and what we have found is that the biggest hurdle to combating this issue is raising awareness of homelessness in our communities, and poor access to consistent and reliable data,” said Congresswoman Johnson.
The purpose of the briefing was to educate members of Congress and their staff on the issues currently facing our homeless population and increase awareness among stakeholders.
“There are many reasons people become homeless. Though lack of affordable housing and poverty are the leading causes, other factors cluster together, such as domestic violence, trauma, depression, and low wages,” said Dr. Carmela DeCandia, Director of The National Center on Family Homelessness. “A combination of housing and services are needed to end homelessness for youth, families, individuals, and veterans.”
In an effort to address the lack of reliable data, Congresswoman Johnson has introduced H.R. 1136, the Violence Against the Homeless Accountability Act. This legislation would authorize the comprehensive collection of information on attacks against homeless individuals.
The panelists included: Carmela J. DeCandia, Psy.D., Director of the National Center on Family Homelessness; Brian Carome, Executive Director for Street Sense; Maria Foscarinis, Founder and Executive Director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty; and Devin Johnson, a high school student from Prince George’s County, Maryland.
