SENATE RESOLUTION

                         2000-8703

By Senators Honeyford, Fraser, Costa, Rasmussen and Kohl-Welles

     WHEREAS, Decent and affordable housing is a simple dream that is unattainable for many hard-working families in Washington; and

     WHEREAS, Unable to obtain either conventional or government-assisted financing, some of these families pay rent - in many cases - more than fifty percent of their total household income to live in overcrowded, substandard houses and apartments; and

     WHEREAS, To draw attention to the need for safe, decent, affordable housing, and to showcase the power of volunteers in neighborhoods and communities across Washington, the Washington State Legislature has entered into a partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for a family in need; and

     WHEREAS, Legislators and staff, along with their families, others in the legislative community, and Habitat partner families and volunteers, are working side-by-side with infectious enthusiasm in raising thirty-five thousand dollars and generating three thousand five hundred volunteer hours to build "The Home from the Dome"; and

     WHEREAS, When complete, The Home from the Dome will be sold to a partner family, who themselves will have put in over five hundred hours of manual labor, under a no-profit, no-interest loan on a twenty or twenty-five year mortgage.  The eventual homeowner's payments will go to a revolving fund for construction of more housing for other families; and

     WHEREAS, Work on The Home from the Dome - like work on any community volunteer project - unites those involved and shows that, in a world where many needs go unmet, the giving of our time, talent, compassion, and energy is an expression of faith, trust, and concern;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate hereby expresses its gratitude to Habitat for Humanity, for its leadership, and to all the volunteers and contributors - legislators, staff, family, friends, and others - for the time, talent, compassion, and energy they have given to make a home for one more family - The Home from the Dome - a reality; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate finds that, in the end, the true excitement in a project like this is not in seeing the finished wall or the completed house, but in having the opportunity to take part in such a powerful project.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 2000-8703,

adopted by the Senate January 28, 2000.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate