III

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 319

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Senate should participate in

and support activities to provide decent homes for the people of the

United States, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 9, 2000

Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. ASHCROFT, Mr.

BAUCUS, Mr. BAYH, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BREAUX, Mr.

BRYAN, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. L. CHAFEE, Mr. CLELAND,

Mr. COCHRAN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. CRAPO, Mr.

DEWINE, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. EDWARDS, Mrs. FEINSTEIN,

Mr. GORTON, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GRAMS, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. HELMS,

Mr. HOLLINGS, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KERRY, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. LEVIN, Mr.

MCCAIN, Mr. MURKOWSKI, Mr. NICKLES, Mr. REED, Mr. ROBB, Mr.

SARBANES, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire, Mr. SMITH of

Oregon, Mr. STEVENS, Mr. THOMAS, Mr. THURMOND, Mr. TORRICELLI,

Mr. WARNER, Mr. WELLSTONE, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Senate should

participate in and support activities to provide decent

homes for the people of the United States, and for other

purposes.

Whereas the United States promotes and encourages the creation and revitalization of sustainable and strong neighborhoods in partnership with States, cities, and local
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•SRES 319 ATS

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 the community building activities of neighborhoodbased nonprofit organizations empower individuals to improve their lives and make communities safer and

healthier for families;
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•SRES 319 ATS

Whereas one 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 1544 local affiliates and its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit

corporate status and locally elected completely voluntary

board of directors;

Whereas Habitat for Humanity will build its 100,000th house

worldwide in September 2000 and endeavors to complete

another 100,000 homes during the next 5 years;

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 first week of June 2000 has been designated as

‘‘National Homeownership Week’’: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that—

2 (1) everyone in the United States should have

3 a decent home in which to live;

4 (2) the Members of the Senate should dem5 onstrate the importance of volunteerism;

6 (3) during the year between National Home7 ownership Week 2000 and National Homeownership

8 Week 2001, the Members of the Senate, Habitat for

9 Humanity, and contributing organizations, should

10 sponsor and construct 2 homes in the District of Co-
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1 lumbia each of which should be known as a ‘‘House

2 That the Senate Built’’;

3 (4) each ‘‘House That the Senate Built’’ should

4 be constructed primarily by Members of the Senate,

5 their families and staffs, and the staffs of spon6 soring organizations working with local volunteers

7 involving and symbolizing the partnership of the

8 public, private, and nonprofit sectors of society;

9 (5) each ‘‘House That the Senate Built’’ should

10 be constructed with the participation of the family

11 that will own the home;

12 (6) in the future, the Members of the Senate

13 and their families and staff should participate in

14 similar house building activities in their own States

15 as part of National Homeownership Week; and

16 (7) these occasions should be used to emphasize

17 and focus on the importance of providing decent

18 homes for all of the people in the United States.

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