MURKOWSKI, SCHATZ REINTRODUCE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO EXPAND AND MODERNIZE NATIVE HOUSING PROGRAMS

Senators Push to Advance Housing Policy in NAHASDA's 30^TH Anniversary Year

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi), Vice Chairman, introduced the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026 (NAHASDA Modernization Act), comprehensive legislation to reauthorize and modernize federal housing programs serving American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Original co-sponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Mike Crapo (D-ID).

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 and Native Hawaiians, streamline federal requirements, and expand access to safe, affordable housing.

"For more than a decade, I've worked on NAHASDA and heard directly from Native families about how the lack of safe, affordable housing affects every part of daily life. As Congress continues its efforts to address housing challenges around the country, we cannot leave Native communities behind. The federal government has a trust responsibility to ensure Tribes have the tools to meet the housing needs of their people," said Chairman Murkowski. "I'm proud to have worked alongside Tribal leaders and stakeholders in Alaska and across the country to identify practical solutions. By cutting red tape and providing greater flexibility, we can help communities provide housing that fits their unique needs and supports long-term stability."

"Over the past 30 years, NAHASDA has delivered billions of dollars in federal funding to improve Native housing in Hawai'i and across the country," said Vice Chairman Schatz. "Our bill reflects what Native communities asked for: better tools and flexibilities to make homeownership and stable housing a reality for more families. I thank Chairman Murkowski for her partnership and all the Native leaders and organizations who helped make this bipartisan legislation even stronger."

"Montana is home to seven Indian Reservations, and it's one of my top priorities to ensure that these communities have equal access and resources, including when it comes to housing. I'm proud to work with Senator Murkowski on the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026. This bill will help ensure that tribal communities have the resources and flexibility needed to address housing shortages in Indian Country," said Senator Daines.

"For more than 25 years, Tribal housing programs have relied on NAHASDA to improve housing opportunities for Native communities," said Senator Luján. "Reauthorizing and updating this legislation will strengthen self-determination, expand access to housing, and provide Tribes with the flexibility and resources needed to address local needs. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation and ensure the federal government upholds its trust responsibility to Native families in New Mexico and across the country."

"Everywhere I go in our state, I hear from Alaskans struggling from the severe housing shortage and high construction costs. These challenges are especially acute in our rural and tribal communities," said Senator Sullivan. "Our Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) are on the front lines responding to this crisis and will be essential partners in solving it. The Senate's passage of the largest housing package in decades-the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act-is an important step to boost supply, cut red tape, and support locally driven solutions. But as we advance these reforms, we must ensure tribal communities are not left behind. The NAHASDA Revitalization Act reauthorizes key tribal housing programs, strengthens tribal self-determination and ensures tribes have the tools and resources they need to expand housing. For decades, NAHASDA has provided Alaska with the flexibility and self-determination to meet our state's unique tribal housing needs, and its reauthorization will help to expand safe, affordable housing opportunities for all Alaskans."

"As we work to address the housing crisis across our nation, it's vital we consider the needs of Native communities," said Senator Hirono. "I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to modernize federal housing policy impacting Native communities and expand access to affordable housing for Native families in Hawaii and across our country."

"The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act would finally cut through bureaucratic barriers and empower Tribes with the flexibility they need to deliver safe, affordable homes for Native families in Idaho and nationwide," said Senator Crapo.

"The introduction of the NAHASDA Modernization Act represents a pivotal moment for Indian Country. At a time when federal housing policy is being reshaped for the first time in decades, this legislation ensures that Tribal Nations have a seat at the table and the tools to lead. Modernizing NAHASDA is not just about updating a program; it is about strengthening sovereignty, self-determination, and building a housing future that reflects the needs of our communities. We thank Chair Murkowski and Vice Chair Schatz for their strong leadership and look forward to working alongside our partners to deliver a lasting impact for Native communities for generations to come," said Rudy Soto, Executive Director of the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC).

"After thirteen years of expired authorization, Tribal Nations across Indian Country have never been more unified or more ready - and our message to Congress is clear: the time to reauthorize and modernize NAHASDA is now. This legislation honors the legal federal trust responsibility while empowering Tribal Nations to govern themselves and build the homes their communities urgently need. NCAI and the Tribal leaders we represent are fully mobilized to support the House and Senate working together to find compromise. Tribal Nations will not stop until Congress gets this done," said Mark Macarro, President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).

Additional stakeholder quotes can be found here.

Representative Troy Downing (R-MT-02) and Janelle Bynum (D-OR-05) introduced the House companion bill to the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026.

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

This year, 2026, marks three decades since NAHASDA was signed into law. Building on that 30-year legacy, this legislation would build on years of consultation with Tribal leaders, housing authorities, and Native serving organizations, and reflect priorities identified by Native communities. Over the last three Congresses, Senator Murkowski and Senator Schatz have worked across the aisle to reauthorize NAHASDA, particularly through their leadership on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, working closely with stakeholders to help advance NAHASDA through hearings, legislation, and amendments. In 2021, they introduced bipartisan reauthorization legislation, which was advanced by the Committee in 2022. Building on those efforts, Murkowski and Schatz were successful in moving reauthorizing legislation through the Senate in 2023. In addition to its standalone introduction, several provisions of the NAHASDA are included in Senator Murkowski's draft legislation, the Native Children's Commission Implementation Act.

The legislation 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, Rasmuson Foundation, 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.

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