Date: 2006-06-27
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I introduced this legislation to elevate the debate and the understanding of the importance of housing in this country. On May 24. 2006 President Bush designated June as National Homeownership Month. as he has done over the past 5 years. To complement this designation. this resolution provides congressional recognition of the National Homeownership Month and the importance of homeownership in the Wnited States. Owning a home is a fundamental part of the American Dream and is the largest personal investment families will ever make. Not only does homeownership provide economic security by building wealth over time. it also strengthens and builds communities. However. creating affordable homeownership opportunities requires the commitment and cooperation of the private. public. nonprofit sector. including the Federal Government and. State and local governments. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the House of Representatives. one. fully supports the goals and ideals of National Homeownership Month. and. two. recognizes the importance of homeownership in building strong communities and families. Today is a day we can come together. set aside any policy differences we might have. and celebrate homeownership in America. For generations. the goal of owning a home has been the bedrock of our economy and a fundamental part of the American Dream. As we have faced the challenges of war and economic uncertainties. the housing markets have helped to keep our economy strong. Nationally. housing generates more than 22 percent of the gross domestic product and accounts for nearly 40 cents of every dollar spent. Americas housing. markets are the envy of the world. We enjoy the lowest interest rates. the highest homeownership rates of any developed nation. In fact. national homeownership in the United States has reached a record high of 70 percent. Homeownership is the single largest creator of wealth for Americans. It is the largest investment most families will ever make. and a. key to promoting longterm economic stability. For this reason we must continue to promote policies that ensure more Americans can achieve the goal of homeownership. Aside from helping millions of Americans achieve their dreams. homeownership also helps to build neighborhoods and strengthen communities. Families who own homes have a vital stake in their communities. a stronger interest in the safekeeping of their neighborhoods. and a deeper commitment to the quality of their schools and public services. Each home is a critical piece in a successful neighborhood. allowing -families to enjoy community events together and share in the lives of their neighbors and friends. As millions of American families have demonstrated. increased homeownership helps to build better communities. and better communities help to build a better America. As responsible legislators. we need to ensure that government helps rather than impedes homeownership in America. When I came to Congress. I made it my top priority to highlight Federal policies that have hindered the availability -of housing in this country and to find ways for government to positively impact homeownership in America. While we have done much to help Americans become homeowners. we must do more. We must remove the hurdles and needless regulation that keep homeownership out of the reach of some families in America. And oftentimes in government. we pass policies and laws and regulations that sound really good. and when they are implemented they do just the exact opposite of what we intend them to do. they hinder homeownership. State government and local government do the same thing. What we need to do as legislators is look at these things we have done. and if they are wrong. w& need to correct them. And then we need to pass new resolutions and laws that further provide opportunities for people. Which in many cases we have done the opposite of. We must also promote fair lending practices to increase housing opportunities for all Americans. And we must ensure that programs Congress passes to encourage homeownership can be enjoyed by all Americans in all communities. including those in highcost areas. With June designated as National Homeownership Month. there is no better time to address these issues. Now more than ever Congress must cultivate an: environment in which more Americans may turn the dream of homeownership into a reality. I am very pleased today that the President has made it a priority to promote affordable housing and homeownership. even among those challenges our country faces in other areas. Along with Secretary Jackson and his team at HUD. the President has .taken a leading role in finding new and innovative ways to expand homeownership in all areas of this country. Fortunately here in Congress we have a strong commitment to homeownership from Members from both sides of the aisle. I want to commend the people in our committee who have worked really hard: Chairman OXLEY and Ranking Member BARNEY FRANK. also subcommittee Chairman NEY and MAXINE WATERS. We have come together on many issues. We have put aside personal issues that we might disagree on. and we said. what can we do positively together to create a better environment for housing. understanding that people at all sectors of society need to own a home. and how can we eliminate programs that hinder them from doing that. I am confident due to this teamwork we will have success in years to come and continue to increase homeoWnership nationwide. National Homeownership Month is a reminder of the importance of housing issues in America. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. and I encourage all of us. as we go through our practices of trying to pass good and reasonable laws for this country. to look at policies that encourage homeownership rather than discourage homeownership.