•HCON 338 IH 
tional plumbing, a reliable source of heating and cooling, 
and necessary safety features such as grab bars and 
wheelchair ramps; 
Whereas 61% of the Nation’s lowest-income homeowners are 
elderly, and the elderly population of the United States 
is expected to double by 2025; 
Whereas 92% of elderly Americans want to remain as long 
as possible in their own affordable, safe, and structurally 
sound housing; 
Whereas the Federal Government promotes and encourages 
sustainable and strong neighborhoods by preserving and 
rehabilitating existing housing stock in partnership with 
State and local governments and with the critical assist-
ance of volunteer organizations; 
Whereas improving existing housing and community facilities 
strengthens neighborhoods, restores the pride of home-
owners, and sustains and nurtures the families who re-
side in these neighborhoods; 
Whereas home equity is the best way for lower-income fami-
lies to build wealth and for lower-income communities to 
rebuild their neighborhoods; 
Whereas preserving existing houses and community facilities 
is a cost-effective way of meeting the housing needs of 
low-income and elderly households; 
Whereas home improvement and rehabilitation strengthens 
the national economy by promoting the production and 
sale of goods and services, encouraging ongoing invest-
ment, promoting economic and civic responsibility that 
rejuvenates communities, and enhancing the value of 
most Americans’ largest investments, their homes;
•HCON 338 IH 
Whereas the community-building activities of neighborhood-
based nonprofit organizations empower individuals to im-
prove their lives and make communities safer and 
healthier for families; 
Whereas Rebuilding Together, the largest volunteer nonprofit 
housing rehabilitation organization, was founded in 1988 
to rehabilitate houses for low-income homeowners who 
are elderly, disabled, or families with children and who 
are unable to do the work themselves; 
Whereas Rebuilding Together rehabilitates and improves 
community centers, nonprofit facilities, and neighborhood 
parks that provide support to low-income and elderly resi-
dents; 
Whereas Rebuilding Together is the Nation’s leading expert 
in delivering voluntary home safety modification services 
that prevent accidents and hospitalizations; 
Whereas Rebuilding Together is organized in all 50 States 
and the District of Columbia and has 252 local affiliates, 
each of which is an organization described under section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and ex-
empt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code 
and has a locally-elected voluntary board of directors; 
Whereas in its 15-year history, Rebuilding Together has re-
habilitated more than 80,000 houses and expects to com-
plete work on another 50,000 houses by the year 2010; 
Whereas Rebuilding Together provides opportunities for peo-
ple from every segment of society to volunteer to help 
those in need of basic home maintenance assistance; and 
Whereas Rebuilding Together helps keep low-income home-
owners who are elderly, disabled, or families with children
•HCON 338 IH 
living in safe, warm, and dry conditions: Now, therefore, 
be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress—
(1) commemorates the 15th anniversary of Re-
building Together; 
(2) commends Rebuilding Together, its 252 af-
filiate chapters, and the nearly 2,300,000 volunteers 
who have helped rehabilitate more than 80,000 
houses since 1988; 
(3) recognizes the importance of volunteer orga-
nizations such as Rebuilding Together in meeting 
the growing challenge of providing housing rehabili-
tation assistance to low-income and elderly home-
owners; 
(4) calls upon State and local governments to 
cooperate with Rebuilding Together in preserving, 
rehabilitating, and improving existing housing; 
(5) asks all Americans to recognize the value of 
preserving existing housing and to consider volun-
teering with Rebuilding Together and other similar 
organizations to rebuild and sustain our local com-
munities; and 
(6) encourages Members of Congress, their 
families, and their staffs to participate in home re-
•HCON 338 IH 
habilitation activities of Rebuilding Together in their 
own States and Congressional Districts.
Æ