The Week Ahead: Analyzing Efforts to Bolster Housing for Native Americans

On Tuesday, June 13, the Senate Banking Committee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development will host a hearing titled, "State of Native American Housing" at 1:30 p.m. Central.

Several government agencies have taken recent action to improve housing efforts for Native Americans, including recent funding by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the amount of $95 million to 55 communities through the Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program. HUD’s funds will be used for infrastructure, community facilities, housing rehabilitation, economic development, and more to support Native American and Alaskan Native families on Indian reservations and in other Indian areas.

"The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to sharing resources with Tribal communities so they can meet their own unique needs," said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. "The funding announced today will help make Tribal communities safer, healthier, and help families thrive.”

The ICDBG program provides a range of eligible activities on reservations and related areas. Eligible activities include housing rehabilitation, land acquisition, roads, water, and sewer facilities, and single or multipurpose community buildings.

In addition to HUD’s recent actions, Freddie Mac has launched its HeritageOne offering, which aims to provide affordable financing options for single-family homes on Tribal lands in addition to rural areas in surrounding communities.

“With HeritageOne, we are again breaking new ground in our efforts to safely and responsibly expand opportunities in traditionally underserved communities,” said Sonu Mittal, Single-Family SVP of Acquisitions at Freddie Mac. “Our commitment to make home possible for Native American families not only requires long-term planning and prudent execution, but strong partnerships with industry members and tribal leaders. Through this collaboration, we can help create more affordable mortgage options in tribal lands and rural areas.”

Slated to deliver testimony at the Senate Banking Committee hearing include Chelsea Fish, Executive Director of the National American Indian Housing Council; Tammy Moreland, Chairperson for the Minnesota Tribal Collaborative to Prevent and End Homelessness; Patrick Goggles, Executive Director of the Northern Arapaho Housing Authority; and Pete Upton, CEO of the Native CDFI Network and Executive Director of Native360 Loan Fund.

Click here for more information or to register for this event.

Here's what else is happening in The Week Ahead:

• Fannie Mae's Refinance Application-Level Index (RALI) (Tuesday)
• Senate Banking Committee: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Semi-Annual Report to Congress (Tuesday)
• House Financial Services Committee Hearing: The Future of Digital Assets: Providing Clarity for the Digital Asset Ecosystem (Tuesday)
• FORCE Membership Webinar Series: Squatter Solutions (Wednesday)
• MBA Weekly Applications Survey (Wednesday)
• House Financial Services Committee Hearing: The Semi-Annual Report of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Wednesday)
• Realtor.com Weekly Housing Market Recap (Wednesday)
• Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (Thursday)
• U.S. Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report (Thursday)