Senate Passes Bill on Indian Housing

A bill that reduces technical barriers to federal Indian housing programs has been passed by the Senate, and is expected to be agreed to by the House and signed into law, according to the National American Indian Housing Council.The NAIHC said the legislation would amend the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act, clarifying that the secretary of housing and urban development cannot reduce the amount of block grant funds for American Indians based solely on the technical status of a tribe's income from NAHASDA programs. "The program income provision is a major step for tribes, improving their flexibility and ability to achieve long-term development goals by building financial portfolios," said NAIHC chairman Chester Carl. "The support from the Senate also reinforces tribal self-governance endorsed by NAHASDA." The council can be found online at http://www.naihc.net.