Tester calls for swift reauthorization of Native American Housing initiative

Washington, DC – April 22, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Senator Jon Tester released the following statement after the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), an initiative that awards block grants for tribes and tribal housing authorities, passed unanimously out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee:

“It is critical the full Senate act swiftly and reauthorize these important resources for families in Indian Country. Every day Native American communities are impacted by the lack of available housing. I will continue to urge my colleagues to recognize the urgency and address the housing needs in Indian Country.”

Last month Tester, Vice Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, pushed to increase the resources for Native American housing during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing.

Through NAHASDA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development grants funds to tribes and tribal housing authorities to construct, acquire, or modernize housing for low income families. These funds represent the main source of housing assistance in Indian Country.