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INDIAN HOUSING IN THE UNITED STATES

INTRODUCTION

Because of exceptionally low incomes and unique land tenure problems, Indian people especially those on reservations-have had to rely primarily on subsidized Federal housing programs to meet their housing needs.' The bulk of this subsidized housing on Indian lands has been developed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the public housing program (1937 U.S. Housing Act; 42 USC 1401 et seq., as amended). In addition,_the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) operates a Housing Improvement Program (HIP) which provides assistance to Indians who are unable to obtain housing assistance from any other source. Finally, in addition to HUD and BIA housing programs, Indian people have also received some housing assistance under various loan programs of the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), Veterans' Administration (VA), and various other public and private sources. However, the number of units constructed in Indian areas under these loan programs has been small and production has not been carried out on a continuing basis. Despite the existence of all of these programs Indian housing needs remain critical.

The table below summarizes the national pattern in terms of selected characteristics of Indian housing as reported in the 1970 Census. In almost every characteristic, Indian housing was far below average. Almost half the Nation's Indian households occupied units which either lacked essential plumbing facilities or were overcrowded, or both—the incidence of housing which lacked plumbing facilities or was overcrowded among Indian households was more than three times as high as non-Indian households. The situation was even worse in rural areas where over 70 percent of the Indian households were inadequately housed even by this limited measure (which does not consider either the condition of the structure or the proportion of the family's income that is being paid to occupy it).2

1 For a general summary of the basic Federal housing programs available to Indians, see "Community Development: A Manual on Tribal Housing Enterprises and Resources." Prepared by the Non-Profit Housing Center, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1973.

For further interpretation of this and some related information, see George W. Rucker, "Indian Housing: A Background Paper," prepared for the Rural Housing Alliance's 8th Annual Meeting, Rapid City, South Dakota, October 1973, see Appendix III, pp. 123-39.

CONTENTS

Memorandum of the Chairman_.
Introduction--

HUD Indian housing programs.

1. Low rent program -

2. Mutual-help homeownership program.

3. Turnkey III homeownership program-

BIA housing improvement program..

Rural housing programs of the Farmers Home Administration__
Related services and program administration..

1. Road construction -

2. Water and sanitation facilities

3. Program administration..

Problems with the present program.

1. The tri-agency agreement-

2. The 1974 Housing and Community Development Act

3. Building on Indian lands--

Page

iii

1

3

8

10

10

10

11

14

14

15

16

16

17

17

18

18

19

3. Develop a comprehensive Indian housing and community develop-
ment act--

19

4. Relative priority accorded Indian projects-

5. Special legal relationship-

6. Regional characteristics_

Possible options and/or policy alternatives.

1. Maintain the status quo with administrative changes-

2. Maintain the status quo with certain legislative and administrative
changes----

APPENDIXES

I. Significant dates in Indian housing-
II. General Accounting Office reports - .

Slow progress in eliminating substandard Indian housing (Re-
port No. B-114868).

GAO communication to HUD, dated September 24, 1974, re-
garding a survey of Federal efforts in Alaska in meeting
national housing objectives (Report No. B-118718)
HUD reply letter regarding GAO Report No. B-118718..
GAO communication to HUD, dated October 4, 1974, regarding
a survey of HUD's low-rent public housing program at two
Indian housing authorities and at HUD's Los Angeles Area
Office (Report No. B-114868)__.

III. "Indian Housing: A Background Paper", George W. Rucker.
IV. "Indian Housing: 1961-1971, A Decade of Continuing Crisis",
Arnold C. Sternberg and Catherine M. Bishop-.

V. "Toward an Indian Housing Delivery System", Housing Assistance
Council, Inc -

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VII. "Indian Housing Issues and State Roles", Housing Assistance Coun

cil, Inc..

197

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