Rep. Gabe Vasquez Leads Effort to Improve Housing Affordability for Tribal Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 26, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) continued his fight for affordable housing and Tribal sovereignty by supporting the bipartisan Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination (NAHASDA) Modernization Act which renews and makes important updates to the primary law governing federal support and grants for housing in Indian Country.

“Housing affordability is a huge concern for most hardworking New Mexicans, and our Tribal communities are no exception. Reauthorizing NAHASDA is a very important step in the right direction,” said Vasquez. “Lowering construction costs, empowering Tribes to reclaim rent pricing sovereignty, and bolstering Continuum of Care access are commonsense, overdue solutions, and it’s time to get the job done.”

The NAHASDA Modernization Act would modernize this key Tribal housing law — which includes the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program — and reauthorize it through 2032. Under this bill:

• Tribes would receive exemptions from Build America, Buy America program requirements to lower housing construction costs.
• Tribes could set their own policies on maximum rent prices — a step toward promoting Tribal sovereignty.
• Improvements would be made to the Section 184 lending program to expand private financing options in Indian Country.
• Changes would be made to facilitate tribal participation in the Continuum of Care (CoC) program. The CoC program is the largest federal grant program specifically targeted to combat homelessness.

Rep. Vasquez has been a strong advocate for Tribal rights and has supported ongoing efforts to maintain Tribal sovereignty including:

• Re-introducing the Parity for Tribal Educators Act  to ensure children receive quality education in Tribally run schools. 
• Securing a commitment from the Chair of the House Agriculture Committee to take action on illegal events contracts to protect New Mexico's Tribal gaming industry and sovereignty.
• Pushing back against the SAVE America Act that would disproportionally impact and disenfranchise Tribal voters.
• Supporting the Tribal HUD-VASH Act to provide assistance to homeless or at-risk Indian veterans.  

This bill is endorsed by the Congressional Native American Caucus, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Housing Assistance Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and National NeighborWorks Association.

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