Environmental review consolidation (Sec. 3)
- Allows tribal entities and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to assume environmental review responsibilities.
- Establishes a consolidated environmental review process for projects funded under NAHASDA and related housing programs, potentially reducing duplicative reviews by other federal agencies.
- Sets a 60-day timeline for the Secretary to act on waiver requests.
- Introduces exemptions and special rules (e.g., for radon testing, lead testing in remote areas, certain flood-related standards, and above-ground storage tanks).
Funding authorization (Sec. 4)
- Extends authorization period for appropriations from 2009–2013 to 2027–2033.
Eligible families and income targeting (Sec. 5, 10)
- Broadens eligibility to include essential and certain homeownership-assistance cases for Indian families; allows up to 120% of area median income for homeownership assistance for Native Hawaiian families, with a 20% cap on using grant funds to serve such higher-income families.
- Maintains low-income housing as the core focus but adds targeted flexibility to expand affordable options.
Student housing (Sec. 6)
- Adds college housing assistance to NAHASDA’s student/self-sufficiency provisions.
Rent rules and self-determination (Sec. 7)
- Clarifies rent rule applications for units owned/operated by tribes or tribally designated housing entities.
- Allows tribes/TDHEs to establish their own rents and tenant-selection policies, with transparency (written, publicly available).
Procurement policies (Sec. 8)
- Empowers recipients to adopt their own procurement policies; if not, standard tribal procurement rules apply.
Total development cost (Sec. 9)
- Allows affordable housing projects to exceed the total development cost maximum by up to 20% with prior approval.
Homeownership and leasing provisions (Sec. 10)
- Allows ongoing rental units to be sold to current tenants under certain conditions.
- Exempts some improvements from binding long-term use commitments if under 10% of maximum development cost.
Lease requirements and tenant selection (Sec. 11)
- Adds a notice of termination provision for projects/programs funded under NAHASDA.
Housing counseling exemption (Sec. 12)
- Exempts tribal entities from housing counseling certification requirements but preserves ability to obtain certification.
Emergency suspension authority (Sec. 13)
- Expands Secretary’s ability to suspend grant funds in emergencies with a due process framework, including hearings.
Reporting and accountability (Secs. 14–15)
- Streamlines reporting and requires consolidated annual performance reporting; expands public availability of Congress-related reports.
Long-term land lease and tribal capacity (Secs. 16–18)
- Extends 50-year to 99-year leaseholds on trust or restricted lands for housing.
- Establishes an Innovative Readiness Training program coordination with DoD for tribal-ready construction and capacity-building.
- Streamlines block grant subawards to eligible subrecipients with capacity.
Housing for Native Hawaiians (Sec. 19)
- Reauthorizes funding for Native Hawaiian housing through 2033.
Community development and tribal activities (Secs. 20–21)
- Expands authority for tribes to directly carry out affordable housing activities and to receive block grant funds, with flexible subrecipient arrangements.
- Extends eligibility for housing counseling grants to include Indian tribes and TDHEs.
Section 184/Native Hawaiian loan guarantees (Secs. 22–23)
- Updates and expands 184 (Indian) and 184A (Native Hawaiian) loan guarantee programs, including direct endorsement by lenders, indemnification provisions, and lender reviews.
- Extends authority to appropriate future years (2027–2033) and clarifies eligible borrowers and loan purposes.
Rental assistance for homeless/at-risk veterans (Sec. 24)
- Creates a Tribal HUD–VASH-style program for Native American veterans, with minimum set-aside, coordination with VA, and flexible program design.
Homelessness continuum of care and new program (Secs. 25–26)
- Incorporates tribal housing entities into Continuum of Care definitions and activities.
- Establishes a new Tribal Homeless Housing Assistance Grant Program (in coordination with HHS/Indian Health Service) to fund rental assistance, supportive services, and case management, prioritizing homeless youth, families with children, and domestic violence survivors.
- Provides up to 5% of McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act funds for this program.
Miscellaneous (Secs. 27–28)
- Aligns and tweaks related to housing programs for Native Hawaiians and related loan guarantees.
This bill aims to modernize, expand, and streamline Native housing programs, empower tribal governance, and address homelessness and veteran housing needs within Native communities.
