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Tribal leaders say government shutdown already disrupting housing programs; urge NAHASDA reauthorization
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Summary
Tribal housing leaders told a joint NCAI–NAIHC webinar that the federal shutdown is slowing HUD approvals and staffing — compounding long-term funding shortfalls — and urged Congress to reauthorize and fully fund NAHASDA to restore stability for tribal housing programs.
Tribal housing leaders warned Wednesday that the federal government shutdown is slowing approvals and technical support from HUD and compounding an entrenched funding shortfall for tribal housing programs, and they urged Congress to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA).
“The ongoing government shutdown is the elephant in the room,” Rudy, executive director of the National American Indian Housing Council, said during a joint webinar hosted by the National Congress of American Indians. Panelists described routine drawdowns and Treasury disbursements continuing but said HUD approvals and any actions that require HUD sign-off are being delayed except in clear imminent‑threat situations.
Panelists stressed why reauthorizing NAHASDA matters: the statute’s reauthorization would codify program stability that HUD’s annual appropriations alone do not guarantee and could restore predictability for long-range planning. Jackie Parra, a board member of the National American Indian Housing Council and a housing authority official, recounted NAHASDA’s origins as a tribal-designed block grant that consolidated prior programs and gave tribes flexibility in how they use funds.
Speakers laid out current program stress points. Blythe McWhorter, a federal affairs associate on the panel, warned that staff losses at the Treasury CDFI Fund could delay awards and technical assistance, noting the panel had been told of termination notices at the CDFI Fund and that the loss of staff threatens “$63,000,000 in federal funding, and $500,000,000 in leveraged private investment.” The panel also said that, even before the shutdown, many tribal programs had seen purchasing‑power declines over two decades and that recent appropriations only restored baseline levels.
The webinar speakers recommended specific fixes the reauthorization could pursue: making the tribal HUD‑VASH voucher pilot permanent, expanding and clarifying Title I (Section 184) loan guarantee eligibility, streamlining environmental review and procurement to accelerate construction and repairs, and preserving the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) at a funding level that reflects historic purchasing power.
Panelists urged tribes to document on‑the‑ground impacts through an open survey and said they plan a deep‑dive follow‑up webinar in January 2026 once legislative text for reauthorization is expected to be available. The panel also highlighted upcoming opportunities for advocacy at the NCAI annual convention in Seattle next month.
The webinar closed with organizers reiterating that slides and the recording would be posted to NCAI’s website and YouTube within 3–5 days.
