[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 8, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H2870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HOUSING ACTION RESOURCE TRUST

  (Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, one of the main 
barriers of homeownership today is the down payment requirement from 
individuals that do not have the money. Do down payment assistance 
programs work? They do.
  One example is in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The Housing Action 
Resource Trust, called HART, was formed in 1995; and in 1998, they 
started giving homeowners down payment assistance, and it is all 
private funds. Not a dollar of it is government funds.
  What they have done is help 40,000 families actually achieve 
homeownership, and it is significant. Like I said, not a dime of it is 
government funds.
  The HART gift funds can be used for down payment, closing costs, 
prepaid payments that can be used to remit buy-downs; and the main 
obstacle we have for moving people from apartments and rental units to 
housing is basically they do not have the money.
  There are programs that do work. The government needs to look at 
participating in this.

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