1Rogers / 2-Tamura

S.R.____
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A BILL
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5To create more Supportive Housing to provide the homeless with cheaper housing, attempt to lower the
6poverty line, and give them a temporary job.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Sates of America in
9Congress assembled,
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11SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
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This act may be cited as the Houses for Homeless Act of 2015
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14SECTION 2. FINDINGS
15Congress hereby declares that,
161) It is proven that supportive housing, for the homeless, is an effective approach to ending homelessness.
172) By giving the homeless a temporary, part-time, or small job, it will give them confidence and some
18experience needed to get their live back to where they were before or better.
193) 2013 to 2014 the percentage of people in poverty rose from 14.3 percent to percent and the average
20income decreased from 44.8 percent to 42.6 percent.
214) As of 2012, an estimated half of all people who are homeless, suffer from many different types of
22mental diseases.
235) Supportive housing, an effective approach to ending homelessness, combines housing with services
24that help people who face the most complex challenges in succeed in their housing.
256) Though many homeless are there because of abuse, mental illness, disabled, etc., there are many there
26who are younger, around the teen age, and just cannot afford rent.
277) As of October 14, 2014, being is homeless is much worse now due to the fact that many cities are
28starting to make begging, loitering, or sleeping in public or in your car a crime.
298) The National Coalition for the Homeless states that the main cause of family homelessness is poverty
30and the lack of affordable housing.
319) About 75 percent of all homeless families who enter a shelter are able to quickly exit with little or no
32assistance and usually never return.
3310) Every year 600,000 families with 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States
34alone.
3511) Supportive housing takes care of chronically homeless first.
3612) The strong, rising economy has caused rents to skyrocket, putting even more people and families out
37of a home to live in, forcing them into the homeless lifestyle.
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39SECTION 3. STATUTORY LANGUAGE
40A) By funding the Houses for Homeless Act of 2015, Supportive Housing shall be built in intention for
41the homeless and at a cheaper rate in attempt to provide them an easier path way to get back on their feet
42and contribute to society. To start this, the Houses for Homeless Act of 2015, 9.9 million dollars will be
43necessary in order to plan, build, and execute this project. The essential money necessary will be
44transferred form the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Homeland
45Security, and the U.S Department of Justice to the U.S. Department of Housing and State each
46Department will pay 3.3 million dollars each. This dollar amount will be displaced from the listed
47departments each year until fundraising is able to deliver an appropriate amount on its own.
48B) Funding for this program shall come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
49Development.
50C) Houses for the Homeless Act of 2015 will be enacted January 1 st 2016.

Homelessness has been a huge issue since around 1640 (Fischer) but we have yet to find a
solution. We have created soup kitchens, some small homeless shelters, and donated to try and
help them out of this horrible situation, but as you can see where ever you go, it is still a
problem. Since the economy has brought up the pricing on houses and apartments making it
much harder for the homeless to rent let alone buy a house. Some do stay in shelters but they are
small, crowded, and most are filled and cannot take in anyone else. A bill should be made in
order to create cheaper housing, create a temporary job for the homeless, and attempt to lower
the poverty line.
According to National Low Income Housing Coalition, a lack of affordable housing is the
leading cause of homelessness today. These huge increases in rent, not even prices for homes just
rent, are forcing adults, children, senior, disabled, and families out of their homes/apartments. To
help all those homeless, we could create supportive housing combines services for those who
face challenges and affordable housing (Supportive Services) which may be an effective
approach to end homelessness. By creating supportive housing, we not only create housing for
homeless, but we also give them the support and services they many need to end an addiction,
get back in the working field, or to help them with any mental illness they may obtain. Along
with creating houses, this could also create a temporary job for those who are homeless.
Since we would need to build the new buildings for the supportive housing, along with
hiring architects and construction crews, we could attempt to teach some of the homeless how to
help and build. While, yes, the homeless may have little education, few skills, mental disabilities,
or substance abuse problems, we may be able to find them some type of job while building or
designing. By giving them this opportunity, it will give them the some experience and the
confidence to bring their life backs up (United States). Along with creating a temporary job for
the homeless while building the supportive housing, we are also creating jobs for others in the
position of those who help the now un-homeless find jobs and support them; they can help them
look into things such as the McKinney-Vento Programs, Targeted Programs, Mainstream
Workforce Programs, and Partnerships for Success (ICF). As shown, we are providing
confidence, a temporary job, and affordable housing, and in addition, we are also creating
countless jobs from psychologists to case manager and from living assistants to vocational
counselors. Creating this living environment and more jobs not only puts the U.S. at a better
economical standpoint, but also will lower the poverty line that we currently obtain.
The amount of people in poverty rises and rises every year while the average income per
household is decreasing. This increase and decrease is causing more and more homeless every
year, but we can change this by creating more jobs such as supportive housing. For example on
July, 23, 2013, in Chicago, Illinois, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) created
thirty-five million dollars worth of jobs by creating more community-based supportive housing
across the state (Illinois). If we did this across the United States we could create countless job
and decrease the percentage of poverty, eventually lower the poverty line to a point where
supportive housing is used for helping those with mental disabilities and alcohol or drug abuse
more than those in poverty. Lowering the poverty line would be an extremely beneficial thing for
the U.S. to do by the use of supportive housing, though it may take a longer amount of time and
money to accomplish.
A bill should be made in order to create cheaper housing, create a temporary job for the
homeless, and attempt to lower the poverty line. Supportive housing can solve all of this one way
or another. On top of those listed, supportive housing will also help the economy as a whole and

balance out the economic inequality running densely through the Unites States. Help fix us for
the future today and allow this bill to be passed.