I say with some pride that we have our first female Commandant at the military academy.

I think that the data we are looking at right now and the trend that Ms. Poethig suggested are the increasing demand by relatively upscale individuals for housing is going to keep rental prices high and vouchers higher also.

One of the issues that's come up persistently is most of these programs, if not all of them, require interagency coordination.

I would hate to see that vision exclude in any way services to Rhode Island.

We are here today because the Nation faces an affordable housing crisis.

We avoided that through great leadership, and particularly, Senator Collins and others.

We spoke about air traffic controllers previously in our statements regarding this proposed privatization.

I think the point that the inspector general just made about the IT systems, as you point out, could be made, many Federal agencies.

Thank you for your years of service. And you have shown a great deal of leadership advocating for families in need and the importance of ending homelessness.

I think it is a dangerous proposal that moves this country in the wrong direction.

Just last year, we were faced with another threat of cuts due to sequester in the level of defense and non-defense budget caps, and with Senator Collins' leadership particularly, we were able to push back on that and able to raise the caps…

These units are very scarce and intended for people who otherwise would be literally homeless.

But this discussion is touching upon public housing.

There's another area that the chairman and I share, and that is the lead exposure.

If you get into a family self-sufficiency program to raise your wages or a jobs program, you're going to lose your housing, that's not the right message either.

Senator Collins has taken a tremendous leadership role, increasing the Continuum of Care Program by $414 million.

Only one out of every four eligible low-income households in this country receives the rental assistance they need to avoid homelessness.

As long as the market does not take into account the costs that we all bear for some of these activities, there isn't an incentive, a market incentive to reduce them.

In Rhode Island, nearly 42,000 households spend more than 50 percent of their income on rent.

Again, Mr. Secretary, Senator Collins and I share this concern about the HUD-VASH vouchers, the fact that progress has been made, but there's no request this year for additional vouchers, even though roughly 48,000 veterans are still in…

I am pleased that both houses unanimously passed the Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act. That bill made important changes to HUD programs, even created savings that allow us to either house more families or reduce the cost of…

Well, thank you very much, Madam Chairman.

I think you have raised some very serious issues and very important issues, and the Department must respond.

the issue of reducing the homelessness among our youth is one that is a passion of mine.

I think we have been very aggressive in pushing family self-sufficiency programs, job plus programs.