Native American Housing: Additional Actions Needed to Better Support Tribal Efforts
Highlights
What GAO Found
Indian tribes and tribally designated housing entities face both external and internal challenges in carrying out affordable housing activities under the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program, which was authorized by the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA). The most commonly identified external challenges included the often remote location of tribal lands and lack of infrastructure such as running water and sewer systems. Meeting these challenges can significantly increase development costs. For example, one Arizona tribe saw its costs double because materials had to be brought in by helicopter. Tribes also identified differing federal agency requirements, particularly for environmental reviews, as a challenge that delayed projects and increased costs when IHBG and other funds were combined. Further, tribes were concerned that recent changes in federally authorized training and technical assistance could reduce their quality and frequency, in part because of the reduced role of a longstanding provider. The most commonly identified internal challenges were recipients' limited administrative capacity, conflicts within tribes that impact housing priorities and planning, and cultural preferences for certain types of housing. The Navajo Nation's housing entity, the largest IHBG recipient, has experienced all of these challenges and had a backlog of nearly $500 million in unspent IHBG funds, which it has begun to address.
Opportunities exist to support tribes' affordable housing efforts. First, a federal infrastructure task force focused on facilitating tribes' water and wastewater projects has recommended that participating agencies, including Housing and Urban Development (HUD), develop a coordinated environmental review process to address the issue of inefficient and costly multiple reviews. A similarly coordinated process specific to tribal housing would help tribes to plan and build affordable housing more quickly and efficiently. Until such an effort is developed and implemented, tribes will continue to lose valuable time and spend IHBG resources completing overlapping reviews. Second, HUD instituted new training and technical assistance procedures according to revised language in the NAHASDA appropriation legislation, which changed the way that HUD makes funds available to provider organizations. HUD has solicited feedback from tribes that have received training and technical assistance under the new system, but opportunities remain to reach out to tribes that have not used the new system and remain concerned that their needs will not be met. Third, IHBG recipients could also benefit from having HUD disseminate promising approaches that other tribes have used to address housing challenges. In May 2013, HUD recognized 22 tribes that were incorporating resource-efficient elements into their affordable housing projects. However, HUD has not shared promising housing practices more generally across tribes in a way that would make them easily accessible. Information about successful approaches could help tribes use their IHBG funding in the most efficient and effective ways to provide affordable housing in their communities.
Why GAO Did This Study
More than 570 federally and state- recognized Indian tribes receive about $667 million in housing assistance annually under the IHBG program. The IHBG program recognizes the tribes' right to self-determination and self-governance in addressing their affordable housing needs. Conference Report 112-284 mandates that GAO study tribal housing challenges. Building on past work that raised discussion about some challenges, this report examines common housing challenges tribes face and actions that could address them. GAO interviewed HUD and other agencies, a tribal advocacy group, and 23 tribal entities that were selected using input from HUD and other factors such as tribe funding, and conducted two site visits where challenges appeared to be unique.
Recommendations
Agencies involved in Native American housing should develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process. HUD should also seek input from all tribes about the new training and technical assistance procedures. Finally, HUD should share promising housing approaches among tribes. The agencies generally agreed with GAO's recommendations, but HUD disagreed with the recommendation about creating a feedback mechanism because it said it already had one. However, HUD's existing mechanism does not include outreach to tribes that have yet to use the new procedures.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | To increase consistency and reduce time and predevelopment cost for NAHASDA grant recipients, an interagency effort similar to that of the federal infrastructure task force but specific to tribal housing should be initiated with participants from the Indian Health Service, HUD, Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process for all agencies overseeing tribal housing development. In addition, the agencies should determine if it would be appropriate to designate a lead agency in this effort. |
In September 2017, HUD provided documentation that an interagency Coordinated Environmental Review Process Workgroup had been formed and included representatives from HUD (lead agency), the Council on Environmental Quality, USDA, HHS, Interior, the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. According to HUD, the workgroup examined information collected from tribes and agencies, reviewed environmental review requirements, and determined that an ongoing effort between the agencies was required. The workgroup focused on identifying measures to coordinate agencies' environmental review processes within the existing framework. A December 2015 document HUD provided, titled Coordinated Environmental Review Process: Final Report, listed the measures as 12 recommendations. Among other things, they included developing common categorical exclusions; providing training for agency staff and tribes; continuing review of related environmental laws and authorities to identify opportunities for greater efficiencies; creating regional consortiums; and establishing an ongoing environmental review interagency workgroup. In 2016 and 2017, respectively, the workgroup drafted a Memorandum of Understanding and an implementation plan to guide its efforts, including addressing the recommendations in the 2015 final report. In 2019, the Senate Committee on Appropriations directed HUD to establish and lead a Tribal Housing and Related Infrastructure Interagency Task Force, with the same membership as the existing workgroup. Through 2021, the task force met and held consultation sessions with tribal leaders, and expanded to include tribal representatives. It drafted a new implementation plan, which was finalized in April 2022. The final plan notes that deliverables are subject to available resources and the plan itself is subject to revision. We believe creation of the task force and its long-term focus on finding commonalities and fostering collaboration to simplify the environmental review process for tribal housing and related infrastructure collectively respond to our recommendation. The task force's ongoing efforts should help mitigate the challenges Indian Housing Block Grant recipients face in developing affordable housing.
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| Department of Health and Human Services | To increase consistency and reduce time and predevelopment cost for NAHASDA grant recipients, an interagency effort similar to that of the federal infrastructure task force but specific to tribal housing should be initiated with participants from the Indian Health Service, HUD, Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process for all agencies overseeing tribal housing development. In addition, the agencies should determine if it would be appropriate to designate a lead agency in this effort. |
In September 2017, HUD provided documentation that an interagency Coordinated Environmental Review Process Workgroup had been formed and included representatives from HUD (lead agency), the Council on Environmental Quality, USDA, HHS, Interior, the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. According to HUD, the workgroup examined information collected from tribes and agencies, reviewed environmental review requirements, and determined that an ongoing effort between the agencies was required. The workgroup focused on identifying measures to coordinate agencies' environmental review processes within the existing framework. A December 2015 document HUD provided, titled Coordinated Environmental Review Process: Final Report, listed the measures as 12 recommendations. Among other things, they included developing common categorical exclusions; providing training for agency staff and tribes; continuing review of related environmental laws and authorities to identify opportunities for greater efficiencies; creating regional consortiums; and establishing an ongoing environmental review interagency workgroup. In 2016 and 2017, respectively, the workgroup drafted a Memorandum of Understanding and an implementation plan to guide its efforts, including addressing the recommendations in the 2015 final report. In 2019, the Senate Committee on Appropriations directed HUD to establish and lead a Tribal Housing and Related Infrastructure Interagency Task Force, with the same membership as the existing workgroup. Through 2021, the task force met and held consultation sessions with tribal leaders, and expanded to include tribal representatives. It drafted a new implementation plan, which was finalized in April 2022. The final plan notes that deliverables are subject to available resources and the plan itself is subject to revision. We believe creation of the task force and its long-term focus on finding commonalities and fostering collaboration to simplify the environmental review process for tribal housing and related infrastructure collectively respond to our recommendation. The task force's ongoing efforts should help mitigate the challenges Indian Housing Block Grant recipients face in developing affordable housing.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | To increase consistency and reduce time and predevelopment cost for NAHASDA grant recipients, an interagency effort similar to that of the federal infrastructure task force but specific to tribal housing should be initiated with participants from the Indian Health Service, HUD, Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process for all agencies overseeing tribal housing development. In addition, the agencies should determine if it would be appropriate to designate a lead agency in this effort. |
In September 2017, HUD provided documentation that an interagency Coordinated Environmental Review Process Workgroup had been formed and included representatives from HUD (lead agency), the Council on Environmental Quality, USDA, HHS, Interior, the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. According to HUD, the workgroup examined information collected from tribes and agencies, reviewed environmental review requirements, and determined that an ongoing effort between the agencies was required. The workgroup focused on identifying measures to coordinate agencies' environmental review processes within the existing framework. A December 2015 document HUD provided, titled Coordinated Environmental Review Process: Final Report, listed the measures as 12 recommendations. Among other things, they included developing common categorical exclusions; providing training for agency staff and tribes; continuing review of related environmental laws and authorities to identify opportunities for greater efficiencies; creating regional consortiums; and establishing an ongoing environmental review interagency workgroup. In 2016 and 2017, respectively, the workgroup drafted a Memorandum of Understanding and an implementation plan to guide its efforts, including addressing the recommendations in the 2015 final report. In 2019, the Senate Committee on Appropriations directed HUD to establish and lead a Tribal Housing and Related Infrastructure Interagency Task Force, with the same membership as the existing workgroup. Through 2021, the task force met and held consultation sessions with tribal leaders, and expanded to include tribal representatives. It drafted a new implementation plan, which was finalized in April 2022. The final plan notes that deliverables are subject to available resources and the plan itself is subject to revision. We believe creation of the task force and its long-term focus on finding commonalities and fostering collaboration to simplify the environmental review process for tribal housing and related infrastructure collectively respond to our recommendation. The task force's ongoing efforts should help mitigate the challenges Indian Housing Block Grant recipients face in developing affordable housing.
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| Department of the Interior | To increase consistency and reduce time and predevelopment cost for NAHASDA grant recipients, an interagency effort similar to that of the federal infrastructure task force but specific to tribal housing should be initiated with participants from the Indian Health Service, HUD, Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process for all agencies overseeing tribal housing development. In addition, the agencies should determine if it would be appropriate to designate a lead agency in this effort. |
In September 2017, HUD provided documentation that an interagency Coordinated Environmental Review Process Workgroup had been formed and included representatives from HUD (lead agency), the Council on Environmental Quality, USDA, HHS, Interior, the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. According to HUD, the workgroup examined information collected from tribes and agencies, reviewed environmental review requirements, and determined that an ongoing effort between the agencies was required. The workgroup focused on identifying measures to coordinate agencies' environmental review processes within the existing framework. A December 2015 document HUD provided, titled Coordinated Environmental Review Process: Final Report, listed the measures as 12 recommendations. Among other things, they included developing common categorical exclusions; providing training for agency staff and tribes; continuing review of related environmental laws and authorities to identify opportunities for greater efficiencies; creating regional consortiums; and establishing an ongoing environmental review interagency workgroup. In 2016 and 2017, respectively, the workgroup drafted a Memorandum of Understanding and an implementation plan to guide its efforts, including addressing the recommendations in the 2015 final report. In 2019, the Senate Committee on Appropriations directed HUD to establish and lead a Tribal Housing and Related Infrastructure Interagency Task Force, with the same membership as the existing workgroup. Through 2021, the task force met and held consultation sessions with tribal leaders, and expanded to include tribal representatives. It drafted a new implementation plan, which was finalized in April 2022. The final plan notes that deliverables are subject to available resources and the plan itself is subject to revision. We believe creation of the task force and its long-term focus on finding commonalities and fostering collaboration to simplify the environmental review process for tribal housing and related infrastructure collectively respond to our recommendation. The task force's ongoing efforts should help mitigate the challenges Indian Housing Block Grant recipients face in developing affordable housing.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | To better ensure that NAHASDA grant recipients receive adequate training, technical assistance, and support, as the Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) finalizes new training and technical assistance procedures for NAHASDA grant recipients, ONAP should expand its existing mechanism to seek and incorporate feedback and input from all recipients, including input from recipients that have not yet used the new procedures, in order to better ensure that its training and technical assistance procedures meet recipients' needs. |
In June 2015, HUD provided GAO with documentation of outreach activities that took place across its six Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) regions in 2014 and 2015. For example, HUD's Southern Plains ONAP began including a solicitation for input on future training and technical assistance in all emails it sent to Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) recipients. In Alaska, ONAP staff held briefings with a selected training and technical assistance contractor where IHBG recipients could share information to aid the contractor in providing services to them. In other regions, ONAP staff used various forums to solicit recipients' feedback on the new process for requesting training and technical assistance. We believe that these activities collectively respond to our recommendation and should provide adequate opportunities for tribes with concerns about HUD's new procedures to have their concerns addressed.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | To better ensure that NAHASDA grant recipients receive adequate training, technical assistance, and support, ONAP should collect and disseminate promising approaches that recipients have used to address housing challenges. |
In June 2015, HUD informed us that as of May 7, 2015, it had added a Best Practices component to its Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) website. Through the ONAP website, HUD has made available resources for tribal leaders, housing officials, Native American homebuyers, and lenders. In the new component, best practice examples are provided by region and by activity type--meaning infrastructure, homeownership, public facilities, and rental housing. Each example includes a project summary and photos. Because the site also contains a national directory of tribes and TDHEs, IHBG recipients can contact those offering best practice examples and determine if similar approaches would be feasible for them to pursue. We believe that this action by HUD responds to our recommendation and will help ensure that tribes have a forum for sharing ideas on housing development and overcoming housing challenges.
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