Press Office – 202-226-8273

Congressman Renzi Announces Housing Grant for Navajo Nation Housing Authority
$89 million will provide housing assistance on the Navajo Nation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi (AZ-01) announced that the Navajo Housing Authority will be receiving an Indian Housing Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant, totaling $89,260,522.00, will be used to support various tribal housing assistance programs.

Navajo Housing Authority (NHA) is the largest tribal housing entity in the country and the largest developer of housing on the Navajo Nation.  NHA builds homes, maintains 7,000 rental units, and assists over a thousand Navajo families annually in homeownership and lease-to-own programs.

"Housing programs on the Navajo Nation ensure that a greater number of people are able to reach the American dream of home ownership," said Congressman Renzi. "These federal housing funds will continue to improve the quality of life for residents of the Navajo Nation, and provide a foundation for strong and healthy communities."

In an effort to increase funding to tribes for housing purposes, the 109^th Congress passed H.R. 797, the Native American Housing Enhancement Act of 2005. Introduced by Congressman Renzi, it was signed into law by President Bush in December of 2005. Under this law, tribes are granted unrestricted access to new federal funds, even if they still retain income from previous years. This important law removes a barrier that has been in place since 1996, which in the past has prevented tribes from receiving badly needed housing grants.

# # #