[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1010-E1011]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING SELF-HELP ENTERPRISES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 11, 2002

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Self-Help 
Enterprises (SHE) for its contributions to California's San Joaquin 
Valley.
  SHE was formed in 1965 with the purpose of providing improved living 
conditions to low-

[[Page E1011]]

income families in the eight-county rural area of the San Joaquin 
Valley. The idea of SHE dates back to the 1930s and to the program 
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). This organization studied 
the desolate lives of coal miners and developed a self-help housing 
program. It also provided financing of 20- to 30-year loans at 2% 
interest.
  AFSC transformed into a national program with its efforts in Goshen, 
California, located in the center of the San Joaquin Valley. 
Affordable, suitable housing in adequate numbers was not available to 
meet the needs of the low-income families in the area. The AFSC office 
in Visalia worked side by side with farm workers and others on the 
implementation of a plan to construct homes. Rather than pay a 
developer to construct housing, the rural residents worked together to 
build their own housing developments. AFSC encouraged legislation which 
would make housing loans eligible to rural residents other than farmers 
under Section 502, and USDA's Rural Housing Service allowed the rural 
residents to earn credit for ``sweat equity'' because they build their 
own homes. The success of this program led to the development in 
February 1965 of Self-Help Enterprises, the first rural self-help 
housing organization in the nation. SHE is still dedicated to serving 
low-income rural families after over 30 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Self-Help Enterprises for its 
tremendous dedication to the community. I invite my colleagues to join 
me in thanking SHE and wishing the program continued success in the 
future.

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