H. Res. 147
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
May 20, 1997.
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;
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 such housing can 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-
•HRES 147 EH
sibility, and enhances the financial security of all people
in the United States;
Whereas the United States is the first country in the world
to make owning a home a reality for a vast majority of
its families; however, more than one-third of the families
in the United States are not homeowners;
Whereas a disproportionate percentage of non-homeowning
families in the United States are low-income families;
Whereas the National Partners in Homeownership, a public-
private partnership comprised of 63 national organiza-
tions under the leadership of the Department of Housing
and Urban Development, has established a goal of reach-
ing an all-time high homeownership level in the United
States by the end of the 20th century;
Whereas there are many other nonprofit and for-profit orga-
nizations that, in partnership with the Federal Govern-
ment and local governments, strive to make the American
dream of homeownership a reality for low-income fami-
lies;
Whereas national organizations such as the Fannie Mae
Foundation, Freddie Mac, the Local Initiatives Support
Corporation, the Enterprise Foundation, the Housing As-
sistance Council, and the Neighborhood Reinvestment
Corporation, in conjunction with local organizations, have
developed thousands of homes each year for low-income
families and have, in the process, reduced urban decay
and blight and fostered business activity;
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;
•HRES 147 EH
Whereas one of the best known nonprofit housing organiza-
tions is Habitat for Humanity, which builds simple but
adequate housing for less fortunate families and symbol-
izes the self-help approach to homeownership;
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 second week of June 1997 is National Home-
ownership Week: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Represent-
atives that—
(1) it is a goal of our Nation that all citizens have
safe, clean, and healthy housing;
(2) the Members of the House of Representatives
should demonstrate the importance of volunteerism and
community service;
(3) the Members of the House of Representatives
and Habitat for Humanity, with support from the Na-
tional Partners in Homeownership, should sponsor and
construct, commencing on June 5, 1997, two homes in
the Anacostia neighborhood of the District of Columbia,
each to be known as a ‘‘House That Congress Built’’;
(4) each ‘‘House That Congress Built’’ should be
constructed primarily by Members of the House of Rep-
resentatives and their families and staffs, involving and
•HRES 147 EH
symbolizing the partnership of the public, private, and
nonprofit sectors of society;
(5) each ‘‘House That Congress Built’’ should be
constructed with the participation of the family that will
own the home;
(6) upon completion and initial occupancy of the
homes in the fall of 1997, the Members of the House of
Representatives, their families and staffs, and local and
national leaders from the public and private nonprofit
sectors of society should participate, together with each
family that will own a ‘‘House That Congress Built’’, in
an event to celebrate the occasion;
(7) in the future, the Members of the House of
Representatives and their families and staff should par-
ticipate in similar house building activities of Habitat for
Humanity in their own districts as part of National
Homeownership Week; and
(8) these occasions should be used to emphasize and
focus on the importance of providing safe, clean, and
healthy homes for all of the people in the United States.
Attest:
Clerk.