[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 147 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                          May 20, 1997.
Whereas the United States promotes and encourages the creation and 
        revitalization of sustainable and strong neighborhoods 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 families who reside in them;
Whereas an integral element of a strong community is a sufficient supply of 
        affordable housing;
Whereas such housing can 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 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 organizations under the leadership of the 
        Department of Housing and Urban Development, has established a goal of 
        reaching 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 organizations that, in 
        partnership with the Federal Government and local governments, strive to 
        make the American dream of homeownership a reality for low-income 
        families;
Whereas national organizations such as the Fannie Mae Foundation, Freddie Mac, 
        the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the Enterprise Foundation, 
        the Housing Assistance 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 improve their lives and make 
        communities safer and healthier for families;
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 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 second week of June 1997 is National Homeownership Week: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 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 National 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 Representatives and their families 
        and staffs, involving and 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 participate 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.