SENATOR UDALL INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO REAUTHORIZE KEY TRIBAL HOUSING BILL Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that he has joined Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Vice Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) in introducing a bill to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), which is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2013. The bill was also cosponsored by Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Begich (D-AK), Al Franken (D-MN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). In 1996, Congress first passed NAHASDA to help ensure that Tribes and their members are provided safe and affordable housing, and that housing programs meet the needs of Tribal members well into the future. NAHASDA helps address a critical need for housing assistance in Indian Country, where more than 28 percent of reservation households lack adequate plumbing and kitchen facilities, while nationally only 5.4 percent of households lack such infrastructure. “Safe, well-built housing and infrastructure are the building blocks for strong, healthy communities, and this bill helps ensure Native American communities in New Mexico and throughout Indian Country have the resources to help fill this vital need,” said Udall, who is a member of the Indian Affairs Committee. “NAHASDA has a long history of bipartisan support. Its reauthorization will help drive smarter investments into Indian Country by eliminating red tape and promoting energy-efficient housing. I am proud to join my colleagues on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to introduce this bill, and I look forward to working with them to get it passed by the full Senate before the current authorization expires.” “Housing conditions in Native American communities remain some of the most challenging in the nation. This Act is designed to assist those communities, where substandard housing is rampant and poverty is a serious issue,” Cantwell said. “The reauthorization of this Act is critically important to help ensure that Tribes continue to have access to the tools necessary to provide for the basic housing needs of their members. While more must be done, I am pleased to note that this is one of the most successfully implemented programs in Indian Country to date.” “Our bill responds to a fundamental need on our nation’s Indian reservations: safe, adequate housing for low income Indian people. Without adequate housing, families can’t thrive and parents can’t provide a healthy environment for their children so they can do well in school and life. This problem takes a toll on entire reservation communities and we have to address it,” Barrasso said. “I look forward to working with the Chairwoman and other members of the Committee to move this bill forward in the Senate as soon as possible.” READ MORE ONLINE... dpnm.net/2013/07/26/senator-tom-udall-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-to-reauthorize-key-tribal-housing-bill/
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:02:18 +0000
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