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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, In the wake of the recent economic downturn, more |
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and more Americans are facing homelessness or the prospect of |
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losing their homes, including an increasing number who do not fit |
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the commonly held stereotype of the homeless; and |
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WHEREAS, A homeless person is generally defined as an |
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individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime |
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residence, or whose primary nighttime residence is a public or |
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private place not designed for regular sleeping accommodation; and |
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WHEREAS, While it is impossible to measure the rate of |
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homelessness with perfect accuracy, the Texas Homeless Network |
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estimates that close to 80,000 Texans experience homelessness on |
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any given day, with 265,000 experiencing homelessness over the span |
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of a year; and |
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WHEREAS, A sobering consequence of the nationwide economic |
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recession is the growing number of families and children |
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experiencing homelessness; according to a recent point-in-time |
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count, families now account for 40 percent of the state's homeless |
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population, and 3 percent of the homeless are unaccompanied minors; |
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children who lack safe and permanent housing often suffer from |
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health and emotional problems as well as impeded academic progress, |
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with fewer than one in four graduating from high school; and |
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas is home to a great number of |
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charities, government agencies, businesses, and advocacy groups |
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that are committed to serving homeless populations and developing |
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solutions to prevent and reduce homelessness in our communities; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, To that end, advocates from across the state are |
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gathering in Austin on March 19, 2013, to observe Homelessness |
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Awareness Day at the State Capitol; this occasion presents a |
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worthwhile opportunity to promote greater understanding of issues |
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facing homeless individuals and to foster solidarity in statewide |
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endeavors to end homelessness, a problem whose implications for the |
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future of our society cannot be overstated; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 19, 2013, as Homelessness |
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Awareness Day and commend the state's homelessness advocates for |
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their important work. |