Thank you Mr. Chairman. 

Homelessness among our nation’s veterans is a concern that Congress has been diligently working to address.  Understanding the needs of this special population - including food, clothing, shelter, medical services, job training, and transportation - is critical to ending homelessness among veterans.   

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest federal provider of direct assistance to the homeless, and has been providing specialized services to homeless veterans for over 20 years.  And, it is encouraging to note that VA reports a 21 percent drop in the number of homeless veterans from 2006 to 2007. Yet, we still are a long way from meeting our goal to end chronic homelessness in this decade.

Sadly, my home state of Florida has the third highest population of homeless veterans in the country.  That is why ensuring that programs available through VA are effective and monitoring programs to help veterans reach and maintain their independence is so important to me. 

I want to note that VA is planning at least 10 “Stand Downs” in Florida this year.  Stand Downs are collaborative events, coordinated between local VA’s, other government agencies, and community agencies who serve the homeless.  These events are important to reaching out to homeless veterans.  They provide food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment and substance abuse treatment.  

The veteran population is becoming more diverse and we have a special obligation to ensure that VA adapts their programs to meet the needs of all of our veterans. While a majority of homeless veterans are male, we are seeing an increase in the number of women serving in our military, and women veterans are also overrepresented among the homeless population.  Additionally, over 400 veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom have sought VA services for homeless veterans.  These men and women have served us honorably, and it is now our turn to serve them, and give them the tools they need to reintegrate into civilian life. 

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today and their view of what we must do to combat the vicious cycle of homelessness and prevent those veterans at risk of homelessness from becoming homeless.