Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress should participate in and support activities to provide decent homes for the people of the United States.

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 184 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 184

Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress should participate in
and support activities to provide decent homes for the people of the
United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 15, 2003

Mr. Walsh (for himself, Mr. Mollohan, Mr. Lewis of California, Mr.
Boehner, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Price of North Carolina, and Ms.
Harris) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress should participate in
and support activities to provide decent homes for the people of the
United States.

Whereas the United States promotes and encourages the creation and
revitalization of sustainable and strong neighborhoods in partnership
with States, cities, and local communities;
Whereas the United States promotes and encourages the creation and
revitalization of sustainable and strong neighborhoods in partnership
with States, cities, and local communities and in conjunction with the
independent and collective actions of private citizens and
organizations;
Whereas establishing a housing infrastructure strengthens neighborhoods and
local economies and nurtures the families who reside in them;
Whereas an integral element of a strong community is a sufficient supply of
affordable housing;
Whereas affordable housing may be provided in traditional and nontraditional
forms, including apartment buildings, transitional and temporary homes,
condominiums, cooperatives, and single family homes;
Whereas for many families a home is not merely shelter, but also provides an
opportunity for growth, prosperity, and security;
Whereas homeownership is a cornerstone of the national economy because it spurs
the production and sale of goods and services, generates new jobs,
encourages savings and investment, promotes economic and civic
responsibility, and enhances the financial security of all people in the
United States;
Whereas although the United States is the first nation in the world to make
owning a home a reality for a vast majority of its families, \1/3\ of
the families in the United States are not homeowners;
Whereas a disproportionate percentage of families in the United States that are
not homeowners are low-income families;
Whereas 74.2 percent of Caucasian Americans own their own homes, only 47.1
percent of African Americans, 47.2 percent of Hispanic Americans, and
55.8 percent of Asian Americans and other races are homeowners;
Whereas the community building activities of neighborhood-based nonprofit
organizations empower individuals to improve their lives and make
communities safer and healthier for families;
Whereas 1 of the best known nonprofit housing organizations is Habitat for
Humanity, which builds simple but adequate housing for less fortunate
families and symbolizes the self-help approach to homeownership;
Whereas Habitat for Humanity is organized in all 50 States with 1,655 local
affiliates and its own section 501(c)(3) Federal tax-exempt status and
locally elected completely voluntary board of directors;
Whereas Habitat for Humanity has built nearly 150,000 houses worldwide and
endeavors to complete another 50,000 homes by the year 2005;
Whereas Habitat for Humanity provides opportunities for people from every
segment of society to volunteer to help make the American dream a
reality for families who otherwise would not own a home; and
Whereas the month of June has been designated as ``National Homeownership
Month'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of Congress that--
(1) everyone in the United States should have a decent home
in which to live;
(2) Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate
should demonstrate the importance of volunteerism;
(3) during the years of the 108th and 109th sessions of
Congress, Members of the House of Representatives and the
Senate, Habitat for Humanity, and contributing organizations,
should sponsor and construct 2 homes in the Washington, D.C.,
metro area each as part of the ``Congress Building America''
program;
(4) each Congress Building America house should be
constructed primarily by Members of the House of
Representatives and the Senate, their families and staffs, and
the staffs of sponsoring organizations working with local
volunteers involving and symbolizing the partnership of the
public, private, and nonprofit sectors of society;
(5) each Congress Building America house should be
constructed with the participation of the family that will own
the home;
(6) in the future, Members of the House of Representatives
and the Senate, their families, and their staff should
participate in similar house building activities in their own
States as part of National Homeownership Month; and
(7) these occasions should be used to emphasize and focus
on the importance of providing decent homes for all of the
people in the United States.
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