Push to Advance Housing Policy Comes in NAHASDA’s 30TH Anniversary Year

WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is backing the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act, comprehensive legislation to reauthorize and modernize federal housing programs serving Native Americans.

The bipartisan legislation updates and reauthorizes the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), the primary federal law providing funding to support affordable housing activities in Indian Country, through 2033. It includes key reforms that will increase flexibility for Tribes, streamline federal requirements, and expand access to safe, affordable housing.

“Arizona’s affordable housing crisis isn’t just contained to our cities, it’s impacting Tribes and Native communities, too. They need real, tangible resources to help them bring down costs, and by updating and modernizing NAHADA, the federal government can help do that. We must pass this commonsense, bipartisan legislation,” said Senator Gallego.

Key provisions of the legislation include:

  • Reauthorizes the Indian Housing Block Grant and the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant through 2033 to provide long-term stability and certainty for Tribal housing and Native Hawaiian housing programs
  • Streamlines environmental reviews, reporting, and federal requirements to reduce delays and accelerate housing development in Tribal and Native Hawaiian communities
  • Expands eligibility and flexibility for Tribal Housing programs, including allowing increased income eligibility for homeownership and enabling pathways such as lease-to-own
  • Codifies the Tribal HUD-VASH program and ensures dedicated resources for Native veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness
  • Enhances Tribal self-determination by providing greater control over procurement, rent policies, program design, and use of funds
  • Enhances access to private financing by reauthorizing and improving Section 184 and 184A loan guarantee programs and expanding lender participation
  • Expands Tribal access to federal homelessness programs, including the Continuum of Care program and new Tribal and rural housing initiatives
  • Establishes targeted pilot and demonstration programs to provide housing assistance and supportive services for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians experiencing homelessness

The legislation, which was introduced by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), is endorsed by the following organizations: National American Indian Housing Council, National Congress of American Indians, National NeighborWorks Association, Housing Assistance Council (HAC), Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Native CDFI Network, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), Association of Alaska Housing Authorities (AAHA), Tlingit & Haida Regional Housing Authority, Copper River Basin Regional Housing Authority, Cook Inlet Housing Authority, The Foraker Group, Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, Housing Alaskans: A Public-Private Partnership, Alaska Municipal League, Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and the Navajo Housing Authority.

In January, Senator Gallego rolled out his plan to tackle America’s housing affordability crisis, “The Path Home: Rebuilding the American Dream and Restoring Housing Affordability,” which includes a call to reauthorize NAHASDA, among other provisions to address housing affordability in Native communities.