Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill reauthorizes the main federal housing program for Native American and Native Hawaiian communities through fiscal year 2033 and gives tribal governments more power to run their own housing programs, set rent rules, and pick contractors without extra federal sign-off.
• It cuts red tape by combining separate environmental reviews into one and exempting small projects, remote rehabs, and certain flood and storage tank rules, aiming to get homes built faster in areas with severe shortages.
• Land leases on trust or restricted tribal land can now run up to 99 years instead of 50, making it easier for Native families to qualify for long-term mortgages and build home equity.
• The Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program is upgraded to guarantee up to 100 percent of loans on both trust and fee simple land, add more eligible lenders including community development financial institutions, and allow 40-year loan modifications.
• It creates a permanent Tribal HUD-VASH program for homeless Native veterans, plus new competitive grant programs for homeless American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, with priority for youth, families with children, and domestic violence survivors.
• Families with somewhat higher incomes, up to 120 percent of area median, can now qualify for homeownership help, though tribes can use no more than 20 percent of their annual grant to serve them.