US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

25 U.S.C. § 4131

National objectives and eligible families

(a)

Primary objective

The national objectives of this chapter are—
(1)
to assist and promote affordable housing activities to develop, maintain, and operate affordable housing in safe and healthy environments on Indian reservations and in other Indian areas for occupancy by low-income Indian families;
(2)
to ensure better access to private mortgage markets for Indian tribes and their members and to promote self-sufficiency of Indian tribes and their members;
(3)
to coordinate activities to provide housing for Indian tribes and their members with Federal, State, and local activities to further economic and community development for Indian tribes and their members;
(4)
to plan for and integrate infrastructure resources for Indian tribes with housing development for tribes; and
(5)
to promote the development of private capital markets in Indian country and to allow such markets to operate and grow, thereby benefiting Indian communities.
(b)

Eligible families

(1)

In general

Except as provided under paragraphs (2) and (4), and except with respect to loan guarantees under the demonstration program under subchapter VI, assistance under eligible housing activities under this chapter shall be limited to low-income Indian families on Indian reservations and other Indian areas.

(2)

Exception to low-income requirement

(A)

Exception to requirement

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a recipient may provide housing or housing assistance through affordable housing activities for which a grant is provided under this chapter to any family that is not a low-income family, to the extent that the Secretary approves the activities due to a need for housing for those families that cannot reasonably be met without that assistance.

(B)

Limits

The Secretary shall establish limits on the amount of assistance that may be provided under this chapter for activities for families who are not low-income families.

(3)

Essential families

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a recipient may provide housing or housing assistance provided through affordable housing activities assisted with grant amounts under this chapter for a family on an Indian reservation or other Indian area if the recipient determines that the presence of the family on the Indian reservation or other Indian area is essential to the well-being of Indian families and the need for housing for the family cannot reasonably be met without such assistance.

(4)

Law enforcement officers

A recipient may provide housing or housing assistance provided through affordable housing activities assisted with grant amounts under this chapter for a law enforcement officer on an Indian reservation or other Indian area, if—
(A)
the officer—
(i)
is employed on a full-time basis by the Federal Government or a State, county, or other unit of local government, or lawfully recognized tribal government; and
(ii)
in implementing such full-time employment, is sworn to uphold, and make arrests for, violations of Federal, State, county, or tribal law; and
(B)
the recipient determines that the presence of the law enforcement officer on the Indian reservation or other Indian area may deter crime.
(5)

Law enforcement officers

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a recipient may provide housing or housing assistance provided through affordable housing activities assisted with grant amounts under this chapter to a law enforcement officer on the reservation or other Indian area, who is employed full-time by a Federal, State, county or tribal government, and in implementing such full-time employment is sworn to uphold, and make arrests for violations of Federal, State, county or tribal law, if the recipient determines that the presence of the law enforcement officer on the Indian reservation or other Indian area may deter crime.

(6)

1
1 So in original. Two pars. (6) have been enacted.
  Preference for tribal members and other Indian families

The Indian housing plan for an Indian tribe may require preference, for housing or housing assistance provided through affordable housing activities assisted with grant amounts provided under this chapter on behalf of such tribe, to be given (to the extent practicable) to Indian families who are members of such tribe, or to other Indian families. In any case in which the applicable Indian housing plan for an Indian tribe provides for preference under this paragraph, the recipient for the tribe shall ensure that housing activities that are assisted with grant amounts under this chapter for such tribe are subject to such preference.

(6)

1  Exemption

42 U.S.C. 2000d42 U.S.C. 3601Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [ et seq.] and title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 [ et seq.] shall not apply to actions by federally recognized tribes and the tribally designated housing entities of those tribes under this chapter.

Pub. L. 104–330, title II, § 201110 Stat. 4031Pub. L. 105–276, title V, § 595(e)(7)112 Stat. 2657Pub. L. 106–377, § 1(a)(1) [title II, § 210]114 Stat. 1441Pub. L. 106–568, title X, § 1003(e)114 Stat. 2926Pub. L. 110–411, title II, § 201122 Stat. 4324(, , ; , , ; , , , 1441A–26; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 104–330110 Stat. 4016section 4101 of this titleThis chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning , , , known as the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Pub. L. 88–35278 Stat. 241section 2000a of Title 42The Civil Rights Act of 1964, referred to in subsec. (b)(6), is , , , as amended. Title VI of the Act is classified generally to subchapter V (§ 2000d et seq.) of chapter 21 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Pub. L. 90–28482 Stat. 73section 3601 of Title 42The Civil Rights Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (b)(6), is , , . Title VIII of the Act, known as the Fair Housing Act, is classified principally to subchapter I (§ 3601 et seq.) of chapter 45 of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Amendments

Pub. L. 110–411, § 201(1)2008—Subsec. (b)(1). , inserted “and except with respect to loan guarantees under the demonstration program under subchapter VI,” after “paragraphs (2) and (4),”.

Pub. L. 110–411, § 201(2)section 4132(2) of this titlesection 4132(6) of this titleSubsec. (b)(2). , added subpar. (A), designated second sentence as subpar. (B) and inserted heading, and struck out former first sentence which read as follows: “A recipient may provide assistance for homeownership activities under , model activities under , or loan guarantee activities under subchapter VI of this chapter to Indian families who are not low-income families, to the extent that the Secretary approves the activities pursuant to such section or subchapter because there is a need for housing for such families that cannot reasonably be met without such assistance.”

Pub. L. 110–411, § 201(3)Subsec. (b)(3). , substituted “Essential” for “Non-Indian” in heading and “for a family” for “for a non-Indian family” in text.

Pub. L. 110–411, § 201(4)Subsec. (b)(4)(A)(i). , inserted “or other unit of local government,” after “county,”.

Pub. L. 106–568, § 1003(e)(1)2000—Subsec. (b)(1). , substituted “paragraphs (2) and (4)” for “paragraph (2)”.

Pub. L. 106–568, § 1003(e)(3)Subsec. (b)(4). , added par. (4). Former par. (4) redesignated (5).

Pub. L. 106–377, § 1(a)(1) [title II, § 210(2)], added par. (4). Former par. (4) redesignated (5).

Pub. L. 106–568, § 1003(e)(2)Subsec. (b)(5). , redesignated par. (4) as (5). Former par. (5) redesignated (6).

Pub. L. 106–377, § 1(a)(1) [title II, § 210(1)], redesignated par. (4) as (5). Former par. (5) redesignated (6).

Pub. L. 106–568, § 1003(e)(2)Subsec. (b)(6). , redesignated par. (5), relating to preference for tribal members and other Indian families, as (6).

Pub. L. 106–377, § 1(a)(1) [title II, § 210(1)], redesignated par. (5), relating to exemption, as (6).

Pub. L. 105–2761998—Subsec. (b)(5). substituted “federally recognized tribes and the tribally designated housing entities of those tribes” for “Indian tribes” and “chapter” for “subsection”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

section 107 of Pub. L. 104–330section 4101 of this titleSection effective , except as otherwise expressly provided, see , set out as a note under .