[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 67 (Wednesday, May 16, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E810]]
     THE NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND SELF-DETERMINATION 
                      REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. J.D. HAYWORTH

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 16, 2001

  Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I come before this House today to 
introduce legislation with Congressman Dale Kildee that will help make 
the dream of homeownership more accessible to Native American families. 
Five years ago, my friend and former colleague Congressman Rick Lazio 
and I worked together to write the Native American Housing Assistance 
and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-330). This law has 
revolutionized Indian housing, and Congressman Kildee and I are pleased 
to offer a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize this Act for an 
additional five years.
  Mr. Speaker, the Congress set out on a path during the 104th Congress 
to support tribal self-determination through the passage of NAHASDA. 
Prior to 1996, Native Americans were rolled into standard public 
housing programs that were insufficient to meet the unique needs of 
Native American tribes. NAHASDA has changed that. For the first time, 
tribes have been able to assess their own needs and access funds 
through a single, flexible block grant that allows for innovation and 
creativity. The block grant program supports new partnerships between 
the Federal and tribal governments and the private sector, and provides 
the tools needed for tribal governments to help their members achieve a 
higher standard of living.
  After only a few years of implementation, NAHASDA has proven itself 
invaluable in this effort. Statistics from the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development show that today there are nearly 25,000 units of 
housing under construction or in development, a twelve-fold increase in 
production since 1996, the last year that tribes were covered by public 
housing programs.
  Although originally a sound bill when it was passed in 1996, it took 
implementation to show where the law might be improved to more 
effectively serve its purpose. Reacting accordingly, the Congress 
further refined the Act with two packages of amendments that were 
approved with wide bipartisan support in 1998 and 2000.
  The difference in Indian housing before NAHASDA and now, particularly 
with these new amendments in place, is astounding. NAHASDA provides 
tribal governments and tribally-designated housing entities with the 
ability and responsibility to strategically plan their own communities' 
development, focusing on the long-term health of the community without 
the burden of excessive regulation. Offering the maximum amount of 
flexibility in the use of housing dollars, while still upholding strict 
accountability standards, NAHASDA affirms the self-determination of 
tribes and allows for local problem-solving.
  Furthermore, the formula-driven block grant allows tribes to involve 
private markets and private real estate entities to improve economic 
conditions in Indian country. Simply put, NAHASDA facilitates a better 
use of federal dollars to address the needs of Indian communities.
  Mr. Speaker, the positive impact NAHASDA has had in the lives of so 
many Native people is nothing short of remarkable. With its emphasis on 
self-determination and responsibility at the local level, I hope that 
the House will act quickly to approve the NAHASDA reauthorization 
legislation we are introducing today. I look forward to working with my 
colleagues in the House, as well as in the Senate and the Bush 
administration, to ensure that the American Dream becomes a reality for 
Native Americans.

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