WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt
(R-Virginia) delivered the following opening statement at the Committee on
Financial Services Subcommittee hearing to examine barriers that homeless and
low-income veterans face in securing housing assistance and services from federal
agencies and generate ideas to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of
housing services for veterans:
“I thank the Chair for yielding and for holding this
important hearing today. I also want to commend Chairman Biggert for her
efforts to address homelessness and her continued focus on oversight to improve
the efficiency of federal programs within our jurisdiction.
“It is a great honor to represent Virginia’s Fifth
District, which is home to generations of brave veterans who have sacrificed so
much to defend the American values that we hold dear. Our veterans
represent the finest our country has to offer, and we have a solemn obligation
to take care of our servicemen and women when they return home. They
deserve access to quality health care services, opportunities to further their
education and training, a place to call home, and most importantly, jobs, all
of which facilitate their transition from the front lines to the home front.
“Despite our country’s long-standing commitment to
our veterans, problems that jeopardize their safety and well-being
persist. Homelessness among veterans remains unacceptably high, as
thousands of our nation’s heroes find themselves on the streets each night.
Though the VA and HUD have a number of programs and initiatives that provide
critical services to homeless veterans, recent studies have shown that such
programs are riddled with inefficiencies that reduce the effectiveness of these
services.
“To address this critical issue, our Committee has
worked on a bipartisan basis to advance policies that enhance the effectiveness
of veterans housing assistance services. Today’s hearing will further our
efforts to analyze these problems and develop bipartisan solutions to reduce
these inefficiencies. Our witnesses will illustrate the challenges they
have faced with homeless assistance programs and discuss how they overcame
struggles with homelessness. I thank all of you for being here to share your
perspective, I thank you for your service to this country, and I look forward
to your testimony.
“Again, I want to thank Chairman Biggert for holding
this hearing today and I yield back the balance of my time.”
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