BUSH URGED TO REVITALIZE
INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESS
WASHINGTON, DC -- A bipartisan group of
more than two-dozen Members of Congress have called on President
George Bush, “to fully revitalize the Interagency Council on the
Homeless (ICH).” The ICH, established by law in 1987, “has not fully
complied with either the letter and spirit of the laws and has failed
to fulfill its statutory mandates,” according to the letter
initiated by Congressman Lane Evans, senior Democratic Member of the
House Veterans Affairs Committee.
The
letter to President Bush said, “In spite of record economic
performance in recent years, homelessness has been persistent.
As many as 1.3 million people are estimated to be homeless in
our nation on any given day. As
economic activity slows, more Americans are at risk of homelessness.
Recently, on Memorial Day we recognized the sacrifices which
have been made to preserve and defend our freedoms and liberties.
In the home of the brave, however, one million Americans have
no place to call home. On
a daily basis, homeless struggle simply to survive. One-quarter of our
homeless are veterans who have given much to our great nation through
their service in uniform. Let
Independence Day 2001, mark our renewed national commitment to
providing our homeless veterans and all of America’s homeless the
assistance they need to become independent of homelessness.”
The lawmakers told Bush they,
“strongly believe now is the time to revitalize the ICH.
They requested the President, “to take the action needed to
achieve this goal.” Evans
said he hoped Bush would respond positively and promptly to the
bipartisan request to revitalize the ICH.
The responsibilities of the ICH include:
(1) Federal homeless program review; (2) governmental and private
programs evaluation; (3) information distribution; and, (4) provision
of professional and technical assistance. In addition, the ICH is required by law to report annually to
the President and to the Congress regarding: (1) the nature and extent
of the homeless problem; (2) Council activities in cooperation with
governmental and private entities; (3) Federal programs for the
homeless, and an assessment of necessary levels of Federal assistance;
and, (4) appropriate recommendations.
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