IV 
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 re-
ferred to the Committee on Financial Services 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress should par-
ticipate in and support activities to provide decent homes 
for the people of the United States.
Whereas the United States promotes and encourages the cre-
ation and revitalization of sustainable and strong neigh-
borhoods in partnership with States, cities, and local 
communities; 
Whereas the United States promotes and encourages the cre-
ation and revitalization of sustainable and strong neigh-
borhoods in partnership with States, cities, and local 
communities and in conjunction with the independent and 
collective actions of private citizens and organizations;
•HCON 184 IH 
Whereas establishing a housing infrastructure strengthens 
neighborhoods and local economies and nurtures the fam-
ilies who reside in them; 
Whereas an integral element of a strong community is a suf-
ficient supply of affordable housing; 
Whereas affordable housing may be provided in traditional 
and nontraditional forms, including apartment buildings, 
transitional and temporary homes, condominiums, co-
operatives, 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 sav-
ings and investment, promotes economic and civic respon-
sibility, 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 major-
ity 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 per-
cent 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 im-
•HCON 184 IH 
prove 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 ade-
quate 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 oth-
erwise would not own a home; and 
Whereas the month of June has been designated as ‘‘Na-
tional 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 Rep-
•HCON 184 IH 
resentatives 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 Amer-
ica’’ program; 
(4) each Congress Building America house 
should be constructed primarily by Members of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate, their fam-
ilies and staffs, and the staffs of sponsoring organi-
zations 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 build-
ing 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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