	Introduction

Native Americans living on reservations or other tribal lands are more likely to experience poor housing conditions, such as living in housing that is physically substandard or overcrowded, than the population as a whole. In 1996, Congress passed the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA). In addition to providing funding for affordable housing for Native Americans, the law focused on self-determination for tribes, giving tribes broad authority to choose how to use the affordable housing funds they receive under NAHASDA. NAHASDA also authorizes a loan guarantee program to help tribes and Alaska Native villages access financing for affordable housing activities and authorizes funding for training and technical assistance. It then describes the programs authorized by NAHASDA: the Native American Housing Block Grant, the Title VI Loan Guarantee Program, and the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant, as well as funding for training and technical assistance. Legal Status of Tribal Land

The legal status of tribal land poses some distinctive challenges for housing for Native Americans. Many issues contribute to poor housing conditions in tribal areas. Both the public housing program and the Mutual Help program were administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after that department was established in 1965, and these two programs provided the bulk of housing assistance to Native Americans until NAHASDA reorganized the federal government's Native American housing programs into today's block grant system. Despite the availability of a number of affordable housing programs in tribal areas, poor housing conditions in tribal areas persisted. The centerpiece of NAHASDA was a reorganization of most of the existing federal housing assistance for Native Americans into a single block grant program, the Native American Housing Block Grant (NAHBG). In 2000, the law was amended to add a block grant providing housing assistance for Native Hawaiians. The most recent authorization for most NAHASDA programs expired at the end of FY2013. (The Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant has not been reauthorized since its original authorization expired in FY2005.) Each year, Congress appropriates funding for the NAHBG to HUD, which then distributes formula grants to eligible tribes and Alaska Native villages, or to organizations that tribes or Alaska Native villages have identified to administer their grants (known as tribally designated housing entities, or TDHEs). Over the life of the program through FY2014, NHHBG funds have been used to build, acquire, or substantially rehabilitate homes for 570 households and to provide counseling or other services to over 1,500 households. In general, tribes rehabilitate more units with NAHBG funds than they build or acquire, and tribes are more likely to use funds for owner-occupied housing than for rental housing. HUD estimates that over 100,000 housing units have been built, acquired, or rehabilitated with NAHBG funds since the program began. Rental Units

In general, many tribes choose to use NAHASDA funds to develop more new owner-occupied units rather than rental units.
Native Americans living in tribal areas experience some of the poorest housing conditions in the United States. Native Americans in tribal areas are several times more likely to live in housing that is physically substandard or overcrowded than the U.S. population as a whole. They are also more likely to live in poverty than the general population, further contributing to housing problems. In addition, a number of issues, such as the legal status of tribal land, pose unique barriers to housing for many people living in tribal areas.
In light of these conditions, and the federal government's trust responsibility to Native American tribes, Congress has provided funding for Native American housing programs for several decades. The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) reorganized the previous system of housing assistance for Native Americans and replaced it with a single block grant program, the Native American Housing Block Grant (NAHBG). In addition, the law focused on self-determination for tribes, giving tribes broad authority to choose how to use the affordable housing funds they receive under NAHASDA.
Through the NAHBG, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) distributes formula funding to Native American tribes and Alaska Native villages, or to organizations the tribes have designated to administer the funding (known as tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs)). Tribes and TDHEs, in turn, use the funding for a range of affordable housing activities to benefit low-income tribal households. These activities include developing new housing for rental or homeownership, maintaining or operating existing housing units, providing infrastructure, and offering housing-related services.
In addition to the NAHBG, NAHASDA also authorizes a loan guarantee program to help tribes obtain private financing for housing activities (the Title VI Loan Guarantee program) and authorizes funding for training and technical assistance. An amendment to NAHASDA in 2000 established the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG) program to provide housing assistance for Native Hawaiians similar to the assistance provided under the NAHBG.
HUD estimates that about 100,000 housing units have been built, acquired, or rehabilitated since the NAHBG began. The majority of these units have been substantially rehabilitated rather than built or acquired. In general, many tribes choose to use their NAHBG funds to develop more homeownership units than rental units, in part because homeownership units have fewer ongoing costs for tribes. The NHHBG has been used to build, acquire, or rehabilitate nearly 600 homes since the program began, and to provide services or training to another 1,500 households.
The authorization for NAHASDA programs, other than the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant, expired at the end of FY2013. (The Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant program has not been reauthorized since its initial authorization expired at the end of FY2005.) Congress has been considering bills to reauthorize NAHASDA.