[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 43 (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S3551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SELF-HELP ENTERPRISES

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise to commemorate the 40th 
anniversary of Self-Help Enterprises. Self-Help is an organization that 
helps low-income families build their own homes. Now in its 40th year, 
Self-Help Enterprises has been instrumental in building over 5,000 new 
homes in the San Joaquin Valley.
  As its name implies, Self-Help aids families that try to help 
themselves. The mission of Self-Help Enterprises stresses that of 
personal responsibility, pride in ownership and community. Through its 
various programs Self-Help not only helps to build houses, it builds 
communities.
  To qualify for help a family must demonstrate that it is committed to 
building their own home and that it is dedicated to helping others in 
the community. In this way, Self-Help ensures that a sense of community 
is built. Families receive counseling through every step of the home 
building process and are taught, not shown, how to build a house so 
that they may take pride in their work. Each family must contribute at 
least 40 hours of ``sweat equity'' a week towards building their home, 
with a total of 1,300-1,500 hours of labor. Self-Help calls this sweat 
equity the family's down payment. Families are organized into groups of 
10 or 12. From these groups families work to build each others' homes. 
Through cooperative work Self-Help Enterprises helps an average of 150 
families build homes each year.
  Self-Help Enterprises also works on Community Development Projects 
designed to improve the infrastructure present in low-income 
neighborhoods. Similarly, Self-Help rehabilitates older homes to help 
families keep homes that may be run-down, and makes homes safer to live 
in. To date, Self-Help has rehabilitated 5,000 homes, renovated 20,000 
water and sewer connections, and weather-proofed 40,000 homes.
  Self-Help understands the importance of providing affordable housing 
to families. For families who cannot own a home, Self-Help develops 
multi-family housing projects and establishes rent levels and financing 
plans to give low-income families a chance to raise their children in a 
safe and secure environment.
  In its mission statement, Self-Help Enterprises states that all 
families really need is ``someone to bridge the gulf between dreams and 
reality.'' Self-Help is that bridge. I congratulate Self-Help 
Enterprises on their 40th anniversary and wish them many more years of 
continued success.

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