January 13, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 7 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2019; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 7
(House of Representatives - January 13, 2020)
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[Pages H186-H188] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2019 Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4302) to authorize public housing agencies to share certain data regarding homeless individuals and families for the provision of housing and services, and for other purposes, as amended. [[Page H187]] The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4302 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Homeless Assistance Act of 2019''. SEC. 2. LIMITED AUTHORITY TO SHARE INFORMATION REGARDING HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH APPROPRIATE ENTITY WITHIN CONTINUUM OF CARE. Section 2 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(c) Limited Authority to Share Information Regarding Homeless Individuals and Families With Appropriate Entity Within Continuum of Care.--Notwithstanding section 904 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 3544), a public housing agency may disclose, to the collaborative applicant of the local Continuum of Care or designee of the collaborative applicant within which the jurisdiction of the public housing agency is located, information regarding individuals and families who are homeless (as such term is used in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302)) or at risk of homelessness (as such term is used in section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11360)), but only-- ``(1) for the purpose of facilitating the identification, assessment, and linkage of housing and supportive services for such individuals and families to ensure continuity of care, to the extent allowable under State Law; ``(2) if the public housing agency takes appropriate measures to ensure that the privacy of the individuals and families is protected and that the information, including any personally identifiable information, is used only for the purpose described in paragraph (1); and ``(3) if the public housing agency takes appropriate measures to ensure clients' information and confidentiality is protected pursuant to section 41411(c)(4) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12491(c)(4)), and any regulations promulgated pursuant to such section.''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Guam (Mr. San Nicolas) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Guam. General Leave Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Guam? There was no objection. Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4302, the Homeless Assistance Act of 2019. This bill would allow public housing agencies to share data exclusively with local continuums of care to better coordinate housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. Homelessness has reached a crisis level in our country and continues to grow. According to HUD's newly released point-in-time count, over 568,000 people have experienced homelessness on any given night in 2019, representing a 3 percent increase from the previous year. California, for example, saw a 21 percent increase in homelessness and the city of Los Angeles saw a 13 percent increase. These homelessness issues, Madam Speaker, extend not just throughout our 50 United States but into our various territories as well. Given the growing crisis, we need every tool in the toolbox to help. Sharing data between local agencies to help coordinate housing placements and services is one of those tools. While local governments are working hard to help people experiencing homelessness, bureaucracy can get in the way. Individuals often have to resubmit the same information and paperwork to various local agencies when seeking assistance, which can delay or prevent them from getting the help they need. H.R. 4302, the Homeless Assistance Act, would help remove this barrier so that public housing authorities and continuums of care can share data and target appropriate interventions to improve the collaboration and coordination of housing and supportive services. This type of information sharing and coordination can ultimately help reduce the overall number of people experiencing homelessness. In fact, research from the Pew Institute demonstrated that data sharing among agencies reduced the number of veterans experiencing homelessness. This legislation also takes a special precaution to ensure the privacy of individuals whose information is being shared, especially victims of domestic violence. It is not made public. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Sherman, for introducing this critical legislation, which I know will be very helpful to local entities across the country that are doing everything they can to deal with the homelessness crisis. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to vote ``yes'' on this important measure, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4302, the Homeless Assistance Act. Madam Speaker, homelessness is a very real problem across this country. In fact, more than half a million individuals are homeless on any given night in America. From cities like my own of Little Rock, Arkansas, to big metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, State and local governments have been unable to address this devastating human crisis fully. Last year, the committee held several hearings on homelessness. Throughout our hearings, the committee explored some of the root causes of homelessness, including restrictive local zoning policies, the harsh and punitive treatment of individuals who have no other place to turn, and the counterproductive Federal mandates on shelter providers that will close, not open, doors to people who are truly in need. The bill we have before us today, H.R. 4302, is designed to help prevent high-risk, vulnerable populations from ever becoming homeless. The bill allows local public housing agencies to share data and coordinate with other State and local government agencies and their local partnering service providers. Madam Speaker, I enjoyed working with the majority on this, and I thank my friends for helping protect that private data. The personally identifiable information was of concern to the minority, and I am grateful for the majority helping improve this bill to protect that private data of these Americans struggling with homelessness. But by sharing this data, these entities can help target and deliver supportive services to these vulnerable populations before they are displaced from their current housing situation. Sharing this data will, we hope, help localities better coordinate to prevent problems before they occur and keep more individuals in stable housing environments and off our streets. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from California, Mr. Sherman, the sponsor of this legislation, for his work in this area. I thank the chairwoman of the full committee, who has prioritized fighting homelessness since she was elected to Congress. I thank my friend from Guam for managing the time on this important bill. Madam Speaker, I recommend that my colleagues support H.R. 4302, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. H.R. 4302 is important legislation that will better assist local agencies in coordinating and providing services to people experiencing homelessness. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation. I thank our colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their support as well. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 4302, the Homeless Assistance Act of 2019, which authorizes Public Housing Agencies to disclose relevant client information to local government entities and nonprofits. This legislation will enable communities to better facilitate housing and services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and it will also require these agencies to prioritize suitable privacy measures for their clients. This bill will address the challenge of coordination with local entities who provide housing and unique services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The Federal Privacy Act limits the ability of Public Housing [[Page H188]] Agencies to share critical and timely information with their community partners, thus creating an unnecessary barrier for individuals seeking assistance by requiring them to resubmit the same information and paperwork to multiple entities. The Homeless Assistance Act will allow agencies to share relevant client data with local government entities and nonprofits, solely for the purpose of expediting the identification, assessment, and linkage of individuals experiencing homelessness to housing and supportive services. As founder and co-chair of the Congressional Homelessness Caucus, I am proud to support the advancement of resources and capabilities needed to address housing insecurity and access to affordable housing in our communities. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Guam (Mr. San Nicolas) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4302, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________
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