[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10184-10185]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  SENATE RESOLUTION 319--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE 
 SENATE SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES TO PROVIDE DECENT 
   HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Allard, Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. 
Baucus, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Bryan, Mr. 
Bunning, Mr. Campbell, Mr. L. Chafee, Mr. Cleland, Mr. Cochran, Ms. 
Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Craig, Mr. Crapo, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Edwards, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Graham, Mr. Grams, 
Mr. Grassley, Mr. Helms, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. 
Inouye, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Levin, 
Mr. McCain, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Nickles, Mr. Reed, Mr. Robb, Mr. 
Sarbanes, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, Mr. Smith of Oregon, 
Mr. Stevens, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Thurmond, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Warner, Mr. 
Wellstone, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 319

       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;

[[Page 10185]]

       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 affordable housing may 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 although the United States is the first nation in 
     the world to make owning a home a reality for a vast majority 
     of its families, \1/3\ of the families in the United States 
     are not homeowners;
       Whereas a disproportionate percentage of families in the 
     United States that are not homeowners are low-income 
     families;
       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 is organized in all 50 States 
     with 1544 local affiliates and its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit 
     corporate status and locally elected completely voluntary 
     board of directors.
       Whereas Habitat for Humanity will build its 100,000th house 
     worldwide in September 2000 and endeavors to complete another 
     100,000 homes during the next 5 years.
       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 first week of June 2000 has been designated as 
     ``National Homeownership Week'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) everyone in the United States should have a decent home 
     in which to live;
       (2) the Members of the Senate should demonstrate the 
     importance of volunteerism;
       (3) during the year between National Homeownership Week 
     2000 and National Homeownership Week 2001, the Members of the 
     Senate, Habitat for Humanity, and contributing organizations, 
     should sponsor and construct 2 homes in the District of 
     Columbia each of which should be known as a ``House That the 
     Senate Built'';
       (4) each ``House That the Senate Built'' should be 
     constructed primarily by Members of the Senate, their 
     families and staffs, and the staffs of sponsoring 
     organizations working with local volunteers involving and 
     symbolizing the partnership of the public, private, and 
     nonprofit sectors of society;
       (5) each ``House That the Senate Built'' should be 
     constructed with the participation of the family that will 
     own the home;
       (6) in the future, the Members of the Senate and their 
     families and staff should participate in similar house 
     building activities in their own States as part of National 
     Homeownership Week; and
       (7) these occasions should be used to emphasize and focus 
     on the importance of providing decent homes for all of the 
     people in the United States.

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