Press Releases

WASHINGTON –U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) joined Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Young Kim (CA-40), and Robert Garcia (CA-42) in introducing the Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act. The bipartisan proposal redefines the meaning of chronic homelessness in current law to ensure more people experiencing homelessness can access the resources they need to get back on their feet. It would also help transitional housing providers offer more services to those in need.

“Colorado is facing a housing crisis that has pushed many people into homelessness,” said Pettersen. “Finding temporary housing or accessing transitional housing should not preclude people experiencing homelessness from receiving assistance that can lead to long-term stable housing. This legislation removes bureaucratic hurdles that are preventing people from getting the support they need.”

“To help our homeless population transition into stable housing,” said Chavez-DeRemer. “We must ensure the floor doesn’t fall out from underneath them while they take concrete steps to get back on track. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act, which builds on my previous efforts to reduce homelessness by protecting and expanding critical resources. This bill would help ensure that our most vulnerable populations receive the comprehensive support they need”

“We must ensure that our most vulnerable community members can get the services they need when moving into temporary housing, which is why we’re expanding the definition of ‘chronically homelessness’,” said Garcia. “Experiencing homelessness is already extremely tough, and we need to make sure our government doesn’t let folks slip through the cracks during transition periods. I will always fight to make funding available for those struggling with homelessness,”

“Rising housing costs only make life harder for our homeless population to get back on their feet. We must ensure our most vulnerable can receive support,” said Kim. “The Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act aims to bridge the gap in affordable housing and provide hope to those struggling. I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan, commonsense bill and will keep working to support our communities.” 

The Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act would require the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to:

• Update its existing definition of chronic homelessness to include individuals who have experienced homelessness for at least one year — whether continuously or cumulatively within three years — to ensure they are eligible for support services;
• Include individuals residing in transitional housing for fewer than 90 days to be considered chronically homeless if they met the original criteria before entering the program – ensuring short-term residents of transitional housing are not excluded from critical assistance; and
• Make these changes within 180 days of the enactment of this legislation.

Full text of the bill is available HERE.

The bipartisan proposal is supported by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

"The current definition of chronic homelessness is overcomplicated and creates barriers to services,” said Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer for Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “The new proposed definition will make it easier and cleaner for direct service staff to complete verifications of homelessness and get people connected with critical resources quickly by reducing time spent on the complicated math of documenting repeat episodes of homelessness. This is a step in the right direction.”