Helping Hands for Homeownership Act of 2004

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 16, 2004. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Helping Hands for Homeownership Act of 2004 - Amends the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of 1996 to permit a homeowner under the sweat equity model program to perform required construction time on more than one dwelling.

Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to designate the (section 502) single family housing loan guarantee program of the Rural Housing Service as the Doug Bereuter Single Family Housing Loan Guarantee Program.

[108th Congress Public Law 285]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


[DOCID: f:publ285.108]

[[Page 118 STAT. 917]]

Public Law 108-285
108th Congress

                                 An Act


 
             To facilitate self-help housing homeownership 
          opportunities. <<NOTE: Aug. 2, 2004 -  [H.R. 4363]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Helping Hands for 
Homeownership Act of 2004.>> assembled,

SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1441 note.>> SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Hands for Homeownership Act 
of 2004''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR SELF-HELP HOUSING PROVIDERS.

    Paragraph (1) of section 11(b) of the Housing Opportunity Program 
Extension Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 12805 note) is amended by striking 
``dwelling'' and inserting ``dwellings''.

SEC. 3. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1472 note.>> DESIGNATION OF DOUG BEREUTER SECTION 
            502 SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM.

    (a) Congressional Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, 
        enacted November 28, 1990, established the section 502 single 
        family housing loan guarantee program of the Rural Housing 
        Service of the United States Department of Agriculture;
            (2) Congressman Doug Bereuter of Nebraska was the 
        legislative author of the single family housing loan guarantee 
        program;
            (3) 316,625 single family loans have been guaranteed under 
        the program since its implementation in 1991;
            (4) the program facilitates home ownership for low- to 
        moderate-income borrowers in rural areas and nonmetropolitan 
        communities who are unable to obtain conventional home mortgage 
        financing; and
            (5) in 2003, the average income of a borrower with a loan 
        guaranteed under the section 502 guarantee program was $34,124.

    (b) Designation.--Subsection (h) of section 502 of the Housing Act 
of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472(h)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (13) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (14), respectively;
            (2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated) 
        the following new paragraph:
            ``(1) Short title.--This subsection may be cited as the 
        `Doug Bereuter Section 502 Single Family Housing Loan Guarantee 
        Act'.''; and
            (3) by striking the subsection designation and heading and 
        inserting the following:

[[Page 118 STAT. 918]]

    ``(h) Doug Bereuter Section 502 Single Family Housing Loan Guarantee 
Program.--''.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--Subsection (h) of section 502 of the 
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472(h)), as amended by section 2 of this 
Act, is further amended--
            (1) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ``paragraph (12)(A)'' 
        and inserting ``paragraph (13)''; and
            (2) in paragraph (14)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``General'' and 
                inserting ``general''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (E)--
                          (i) by striking ``paragraph (1) and paragraphs 
                      (2), (5), (6)(A), (7), and (9)'' and inserting 
                      ``paragraph (2) and paragraphs (3), (6), (7)(A), 
                      (8), and (10)''; and
                          (ii) by striking ``paragraphs (1) through 
                      (12)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (2) through 
                      (13)''.

    Approved August 2, 2004.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 4363:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 108-546 (Comm. on Financial Services).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 150 (2004):
            June 21, considered and passed House.
            July 14, considered and passed Senate.

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