118 STAT. 917 PUBLIC LAW 108–285—AUG. 2, 2004
Public Law 108–285
108th Congress
An Act
To facilitate self-help housing homeownership opportunities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled ,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping Hands for Homeowner-
ship Act of 2004’’.
SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR SELF-HELP HOUSING PROVIDERS.
Paragraph (1) of section 11(b) of the Housing Opportunity Pro-
gram Extension Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 12805 note) is amendedby striking ‘‘dwelling’’ and inserting ‘‘dwellings’’.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF DOUG BEREUTER SECTION 502 SINGLE
FAMILY HOUSING LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM.
(a) C ONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS .—The Congress finds that—
(1) the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing
Act, enacted November 28, 1990, established the section 502single family housing loan guarantee program of the RuralHousing Service of the United States Department of Agri-culture;
(2) Congressman Doug Bereuter of Nebraska was the legis-
lative author of the single family housing loan guarantee pro-gram;
(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 nonmetropolitancommunities who are unable to obtain conventional home mort-gage 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) D
ESIGNATION .—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 para-
graphs (2) through (14), respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated)
the following new paragraph:
‘‘(1) S HORT TITLE .—This subsection may be cited as the
‘Doug Bereuter Section 502 Single Family Housing Loan Guar-antee Act’.’’; and
(3) by striking the subsection designation and heading and
inserting the following:42 USC 1472note.42 USC 1441
note.Helping Hands
forHomeownershipAct of 2004.Aug. 2, 2004
[H.R. 4363]
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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.‘‘(h) D OUG BEREUTER SECTION 502 S INGLE FAMILY HOUSING
LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM .—’’.
(c) C ONFORMING AMENDMENTS .—Subsection (h) of section 502
of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472(h)), as amended bysection 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 ‘‘G
ENERAL ’’ 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.
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Brief
'The Helping Hands for Homeownership Act of 2004' was enacted to facilitate self-help housing homeownership opportunities. The Act amended existing laws, including the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act and the Housing Act of 1949, to provide assistance for self-help housing providers and designated a program in honor of Congressman Doug Bereuter. The law aimed to help low-to-moderate-income borrowers obtain home mortgages in rural areas.
Highlights content goes here...
Purpose
The Helping Hands for Homeownership Act of 2004, also known as Public Law 108-285, is an Act that aims to facilitate self-help housing homeownership opportunities. The purpose of this Act is to provide assistance and support to individuals who are interested in owning their own homes, particularly those who are low-to-moderate-income borrowers residing in rural areas or nonmetropolitan communities.
Key Provisions
The key provisions of this Act include:
- Amendment to the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of 1996: The Act amends paragraph (1) of section 11(b) of the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of 1996, which allows for assistance to be provided to self-help housing providers.
- Designation of the Doug Bereuter Section 502 Single Family Housing Loan Guarantee Program: The Act designates a program under the Housing Act of 1949 as the “Doug Bereuter Section 502 Single Family Housing Loan Guarantee Program”. This program provides loan guarantees for single-family homes in rural areas and nonmetropolitan communities.
- Conforming Amendments: The Act makes conforming amendments to the Housing Act of 1949, including redesignating paragraphs (1) through (13) as paragraphs (2) through (14), respectively.
Industry Impact
The Helping Hands for Homeownership Act of 2004 is expected to have a significant impact on the housing industry, particularly in rural areas and nonmetropolitan communities. The Act aims to facilitate self-help housing homeownership opportunities, which can lead to increased homeownership rates among low-to-moderate-income borrowers.
Updates/Amendments
The Act makes several updates and amendments to existing laws, including:
- Update to the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of 1996: The Act amends paragraph (1) of section 11(b) of the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of 1996.
- Amendment to the Housing Act of 1949: The Act designates a program under the Housing Act of 1949 as the “Doug Bereuter Section 502 Single Family Housing Loan Guarantee Program”.
- Conforming Amendments: The Act makes conforming amendments to the Housing Act of 1949, including redesignating paragraphs (1) through (13) as paragraphs (2) through (14), respectively.
Overall, the Helping Hands for Homeownership Act of 2004 aims to provide assistance and support to individuals who are interested in owning their own homes, particularly those who are low-to-moderate-income borrowers residing in rural areas or nonmetropolitan communities.