WASHINGTON, DC -- The Senate Banking Committee today unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to help local communities reduce homelessness nationwide. Senator Jack Reed authored the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act along with Senator Wayne Allard to help communities break the cycle of repeated and prolonged homelessness. The legislation provides $2.2 billion for targeted homelessness assistance grant programs, an increase of $758 million from current levels. It also allocates $440 million of this $2.2 billion for a new Emergency Solutions Grant.

"For too long, addressing homelessness sadly just hasn't been a priority. Today, for the first time in almost 20 years, Congress is modernizing our efforts to combat homelessness. Homelessness is an extremely complex and pervasive problem that touches every state across the nation," said Reed, a senior member of the Banking Committee, which oversees federal housing policy. "The higher cost of living and lack of affordable housing have made even more Rhode Islanders vulnerable to the effects of homelessness. This bill will increase federal investment in helping America's neediest citizens and ultimately move them from homelessness to independence and self-sufficiency."

The Homelessness Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that as many as 3.5 million Americans -- including 1.35 million children -- experience homelessness each year. Studies show that on any given night approximately 744,000 American men, women, and children are without homes.

The creation of the Emergency Solutions block grant program authorizes up to $440 million, or 20% of the overall funding, for cities and states. "Communities will now be guaranteed money to help prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. These grants can be used to help make rental payments, security deposits, mortgage payments, utility deposits, or pay for short or long-term housing. Families don't have to fall into homelessness to actually access much-needed help and services," said Reed.

The legislation also addresses the issue of family homelessness by expanding the definition of chronic homelessness to include families with children when the family meets all other requirements. "With more people living from paycheck to paycheck, an increasing number of families are on the brink of becoming homeless," noted Reed. "This legislation combines federal dollars with new incentives to help local communities prevent more families from becoming homeless."

The Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act reauthorizes the landmark McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 to simplify and consolidate three competitive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homelessness assistance programs into one program and allow more funding to flow to communities that can demonstrate a commitment to accomplishing the goals of preventing and ending homelessness.

"We cannot afford to ignore homelessness. I am proud that this legislation will help us to tackle the problem," concluded Reed. "It is a wise investment of federal resources that will save taxpayers money in the long run by preventing homelessness, promoting the development of permanent supportive housing, and optimizing self-sufficiency."