Washington, D.C. – Under the leadership of Alaskan Congressman Don Young and a bipartisan group of his colleagues, the House of Representatives today passed legislation to reauthorize the primary federal housing program for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians – the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) – which empowers Native communities to develop and implement their own innovative housing assistance initiatives.
“Prior to the passage of NAHASDA in 1996, many federal housing programs failed to take into account the unique challenges and obstacles facing the Alaska Native people,” said Congressman Don Young. “NAHASDA exemplifies the spirit of self-determination by allowing tribes and villages to build housing that makes sense for their particular communities and unique climates. This reauthorization works to uphold the successes of NAHASDA, while making much needed improvements to the program that empower Native communities to better confront their housing challenges.”
H.R.4329, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self‐Determination Reauthorization of 2014, reflects the House’s effort to address some of the worst housing and economic conditions in the country. The legislation would extend NAHASDA for five years and work to streamline the federal approval process, reduce red tape, and make much need reforms to the program. Click here for a section by section description of H.R. 4329.
Reauthorization of NAHASDA is supported by tribes, tribal organizations, and designated Indian housing authorities across the country, including the National American Indian Housing Council, which developed a foundation for the legislation, and the Cook Inlet Housing Authority, a tireless NAHASDA advocate in Alaska.
