I believe this is a great day for all in Waco who feel, as I do, that homeownership is good for our families, schools, neighborhoods and community.

For 70 Waco families, this program will bring to reality the American dream of home ownership. Helping people help themselves-that is what this program is all about.

For many of these families, this will be the first time they have ever owned their own home. One can't put a dollar value on the sense of pride a family has in walking through the front door for the first time in their first home.

In addition to helping 70 families, Homeward Bound will provide new jobs and add millions of dollars to the Waco economy.

I want to thank Mayor Etheridge and the Waco City Council, along with Kathy Rice, Jeff Wall and Gary Moore for their leadership on this program.

Last year, I added $350,000 to the VA-HUD Appropriations bill for Waco housing, so that Waco could put in place an innovative homeownership program with a minimum of red tape and overhead. That is exactly what the city of Waco has done, and I applaud the mayor and city leaders for putting this new program in place.

My hope is that Waco Homeward Bound will be a model that will ultimately lead to significantly higher homeownership rates in Waco.

Common sense and national statistics prove that when homeownership goes up: crime goes down, home values go up, school districts are stabilized and neighborhoods are improved.

Homeward Bound is a good investment for our families and for the future of Waco.

It is my pleasure to introduce the first recipient of a Homeward Bound loan, Lakeathlyn Thomas. She is a single parent of two children, ages 8 and 10, and she has been employed at the Wal-Mart Vision Center for six and a half years. She is currently living in Section 8 housing and will be using a Section 8 Home Ownership voucher to help her make monthly payments.

Putting aside statistics and numbers, Lakeathlyn Thomas and her two children and their future, is what makes today and Homeward Bound so very special.