TESTER URGES FOR QUICK REAUTHORIZATION AS NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING GRANT INITIATIVE ADVANCES THROUGH THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

U.S. SENATE – March 24, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Senator Jon Tester released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), an initiative that awards block grants for tribes and tribal housing authorities in order to make investments in housing in Native American communities.

“Today we are a step closer to addressing the lack of housing in Indian Country, and it’s critical the Senate now reauthorize these initiatives as quickly as possible,” Tester said. “There is nothing that impacts Native American communities more than the absence of housing. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate on this reauthorization which helps address the acute housing needs in Indian Country.”

Last week 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.