WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, praised Senate passage of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2008. This bill reauthorizes Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) for five years and contains amendments to allow Native American tribes greater discretion in administering their housing programs while maintaining an appropriate level of oversight from Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Cantwell is an original co-sponsor of the NAHASDA because of her concerns with the lack of, and inadequacy of housing for tribal members in Washington state and across the country.

 

“With Americans feeling the pinch of a financial crisis, we must remember those who need help the most,” said Cantwell. “NAHASDA has been a significant positive step in addressing the issue of quality and quantity of housing on American Indian Reservations. This bill gives tribes much more control over housing conditions, and I know this bill will make for a much more efficient and effective housing program.”

 

The 2007 version of NAHASDA creates a new initiative for Self-Determined Housing Activities that would allow recipients of grants to be more creative with the use of granted funds for housing purposes and reduce HUD control.  In addition, this re-authorization expands the list of activities that funds can be used for without prior HUD approval. This now includes maintenance and rehabilitation, infrastructure and mold control, as well as expands multi-purpose communal spaces like day cares, laundromats, and community centers.  

 

While the national average home ownership rate is over 67 percent, the home ownership rate in Indian Country is fewer than 33.  Perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that while only 1.2 percent of homes in the general population are without complete plumbing, 11.7 percent of American Indian households are without complete plumbing.  Many Native Americans in Washington are struggling to find affordable, safe housing. Cantwell has been a strong supporter of this bill and will continue to show her support and work for the needs of American Indians in Washington state.