Senate takes action on Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA)
Channel: indianz
Date: 2023-08-01

A bill to update the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) is finally making progress on Capitol Hill.

NAHASDA is the cornerstone of Indian housing law and policy, recognizing the sovereignty of tribal nations. Yet the law hasn't been updated since 2013, when it expired.

The U.S. Senate on July 27, 2023, finally took action -- by adding NAHASDA to a must-pass measure known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill, S.2226, cleared the chamber by a bipartisan vote of 86 to 11.

"This amendment is an important win for Native communities to address 
their urgent housing needs," said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), the chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. "It has gone through regular order and has been well studied for years."

"This has been 10 years in the making. This has seen process, this has seen input, this has seen extraordinary effort," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the vice chair of the committee.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its own version of the NDAA on July 14. But H.R.2670 did not contain NAHASDA.

The Senate and the House must now work together on a final version of the NDAA. 

Video Courtesy C-SPAN

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