Tribal Housing Advocate Says Homeownership on Reservations Is Achievable and Vital

Chris Bille, Executive Director of the Tribal Homeownership Coalition of the Southwest, told listeners that increasing homeownership on tribal reservations is both possible and essential for economic opportunity. He said his group works on advocacy, education, outreach and workforce development to help tribal families buy and retain homes.

Bille framed homeownership as an underused tool on reservations compared with off-reservation communities. "Homeownership on the reservation is absolutely possible," he said, adding that the concept "isn't really taught" within some tribal traditions and communities. He argued that teaching and facilitating transactions is a central part of the coalition’s work.

Describing concrete effects, Bille said that facilitating sales and transactions helps residents recognize that their homes can be "an equitable asset." "Like my home is actually worth more than what I paid for it when I originally bought the house," he said. "That's a game changer for a lot of families," Bille added, saying families can begin to pass an asset on to their children.

Bille did not present a specific funding request or a formal proposal during this statement, nor was a vote or action recorded in the transcript. He repeatedly emphasized education and transaction assistance as the coalition’s main strategies to increase ownership in tribal communities.

The Coalition’s remarks focused on outreach and capacity-building rather than on a single programmatic change. Bille said the coalition is seeing increasing interest in ownership among reservation residents and framed that trend as a path to building intergenerational equity.