    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 117, 108th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAMS--SUPPORT
    <>

    Whereas the United States promotes and encourages the creation and
    revitalization of sustainable and strong neighborhoods in
    partnership with States, cities, and local communities;
    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 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

    [[Page 2951]]
    117 STAT. 2951

    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 74.2 percent of Caucasian Americans own their own homes, only
    47.1 percent of African Americans, 47.2 percent of Hispanic
    Americans, and 55.8 percent of Asian Americans and other races are
    homeowners;
    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 1,655
    local affiliates and its own section 501(c)(3) Federal tax-exempt
    status and locally elected completely voluntary board of directors;
    Whereas Habitat for Humanity has built nearly 150,000 houses worldwide
    and endeavors to complete another 50,000 homes by the year 2005;
    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 month of June has been designated as ``National
    Homeownership Month'': Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
    That it is the sense of Congress that--
    (1) everyone in the United States should have a decent home
    in which to live;
    (2) Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives
    should demonstrate the importance of volunteerism;
    (3) during the years of the 108th and 109th sessions of
    Congress, Members of the Senate and the House of
    Representatives, Habitat for Humanity, and contributing
    organizations, should sponsor and construct 2 homes in the
    Washington, D.C., metro area each as part of the ``Congress
    Building America'' program;
    (4) each Congress Building America house should be
    constructed primarily by Members of the Senate and the House of
    Representatives, 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 Congress Building America house should be
    constructed with the participation of the family that will own
    the home;
    (6) in the future, Members of the Senate and the House of
    Representatives, their families, and their staff should
    participate in similar house building activities in their own
    States as part of National Homeownership Month; and

    [[Page 2952]]
    117 STAT. 2952

    (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.

    Agreed to June 17, 2003.