Good morning Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer and distinguished members of this Committee.

I thank the witnesses joining us here today and look forward to hearing their expert testimony and their personal experiences with homelessness across our nation.

Our servicemen and women willingly serve our nation to ensure that our rights and freedoms are preserved.

At times, their service places them in harm’s way.

It is a tragedy when a veteran looses his or her life in the service of our nation.

It is also tragic when these brave individuals return from the battlefield without the ability or the tools to reintegrate into civilian life.

This has resulted in dedicated and talented individuals falling victim to poverty and homelessness.

According to the Veteran’s Administration, nearly one-quarter of all homeless adults are veterans.

In addition, many of our veterans who live in poverty are at risk of becoming homeless.

I know that homelessness is a major issue for Veterans in the Third District of Colorado.

The issue of homelessness among veterans is particularly moving.

It is unbelievable to think that in our nation, individuals who gave so much of themselves can end up without such a basic human need.

We are fortunate to have such a courageous group of people serving in our armed forces.

They deserve to know that after serving our nation, there are programs in place to help them enter into civilian life.

I look forward to working with the committee, the VA, community groups and others to address the issue of homelessness among our Veteran population.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you and the members of this committee for giving us the opportunity to discuss these issues that are so important to the well being of our veterans.