Sponsors (8)
Official title: Reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Lisa Murkowski · Last progress March 26, 2026
The bill shifts substantial authority, flexibility, and targeted resources to tribes—expanding homeownership, local control, and tailored services for Native and Native Hawaiian communities—while trading off stronger federal oversight, environmental protections, procurement safeguards, and predictable fiscal exposure, which raises risks for taxpayers, neighboring communities, and the lowest‑income households.
Indigenous tribes and tribally designated housing entities gain substantially more local control and flexibility over how NAHASDA and related grant funds are procured, administered, and used (including procurement rules, waiver authority, environmental review assumption, rent-setting, and program design).
Native families and prospective homeowners on tribal lands get expanded access to homeownership and mortgage financing (guaranteed mortgages on trust and fee land, expanded eligible lenders including CDFIs, longer loan terms, 99-year leases, and tenant purchase priority), increasing opportunities to buy and finance homes.
Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and other vulnerable tribal and Native Hawaiian populations gain new or expanded targeted assistance (Tribal HUD–VASH set‑asides, McKinney‑Vento tribal and Native Hawaiian set‑asides, mandatory case management, and competitive supportive‑housing grants).
Taxpayers and outside stakeholders face reduced federal oversight and accountability as many procurement, reporting, waiver, and review requirements are loosened or shifted to tribes, increasing the risk of inconsistent practices, misuse of funds, or reduced public transparency.
Residents and neighboring communities could face increased health, safety, and environmental risks because the bill allows narrowed or waived environmental reviews (including no NFIP/flood requirement, no mandatory radon testing, and waivable separation/mitigation for tanks) and limits supplemental NEPA oversight.
Federal fiscal exposure and program risk may rise as loan guarantees and lender delegations expand (broader lender eligibility, indemnification obligations, 'such sums as may be necessary' appropriations), creating potential for higher defaults, indemnity claims, and unclear budgetary costs for taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 34 sections of legislative text.
Gives tribes and Native Hawaiian entities expanded control and flexibility over housing procurement, rents, environmental review, creates tribal homelessness and veteran housing programs, and updates loan/counseling eligibility.
Makes wide-ranging changes to federal Native American, Native Hawaiian, and tribal housing law to give tribes and tribally designated housing entities more flexibility and control over housing programs, procurement, rents, environmental reviews, and reporting; increases certain lease terms; creates new tribal homelessness and veteran housing programs; extends authorization periods and modifies loan guarantee and counseling eligibility. It also creates new HUD advisory and reporting requirements, excludes certain tribal recipients from Build America, Buy America requirements, and allows greater use of funds for homeownership up to 120% of area median income with limits.