[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 111 (Thursday, July 12, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1494-E1495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND 
                 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HOUSING ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVAN PEARCE

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 11, 2007

  Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the ``Native 
American Economic

[[Page E1495]]

Development and Infrastructure for Housing Act of 2007.'' I am joined 
in this effort by my colleagues, Chairman Barney Frank, Representatives 
Dale Kildee, Dan Boren, and Rick Renzi who I want to thank for their 
support.
  This legislation will help Native Americans build stronger and better 
communities all across America. The demonstration project embodied in 
this bill will help Native Americans build not only improved 
neighborhoods, but the economic infrastructure to support those 
communities in some of the most rural and impoverished areas in 
America.
  Currently, communities that receive direct funding from the Community 
Development Block Grant program may borrow or issue bonded debt for up 
to five times their annual CDBG allocation. This is known as the 
Section 108 loan guarantee program and encourages economic development, 
housing rehabilitation, public facilities and large-scale physical 
development projects.
  Title VI of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act, NAHASDA, is similar to the Section 108 statute and 
allows tribes to borrow or issue bonded debt for up to five times their 
annual NAHASDA allocation for housing purposes only. The Title VI 
program has been underutilized in part because the eligible projects 
are strictly limited to activities that do not generate sufficient 
income to pay back these loans.
  We all know that economic development and infrastructure needs are 
acute in Indian Country. This legislation gives tribes the same access 
to vital economic and infrastructure resources that non-tribal 
communities currently use.
  Under this program, an applicant would have to demonstrate to the 
Secretary that 70 percent of the benefit of the proposed project would 
go to ``low-income Indian families on Indian reservations and other 
Indian areas.'' This is similar to the CDBG program, which requires 
that 70 percent of a project's benefit be for low- and moderate-income 
families, and ensures that proposed projects meet the need of the 
communities we all seek to support.
  I urge my colleagues to join us in sponsoring this legislation so 
that we can support the efforts of local tribal communities as they 
work to improve their infrastructure and economies and to increase 
opportunities for Native American families.

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