Tribal Housing Leaders Applaud Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act Signed by President Trump

By Kayla Blackwell, NLIHC Senior Housing Policy Analyst 

The “Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act” (S.723), a longstanding priority for Tribal homeownership advocates, was signed by President Trump on May 6. Introduced by Senators John Thune (R-SD), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Mike Rounds (R-SD), the legislation will create mandatory timelines for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to process mortgages and improve communication between Tribes, lenders, and federal agencies by creating a realty ombudsman within BIA. A similar bill was led in the House (H.R. 2130) by Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Tom Cole (R-OK), and Joe Neguse (D-CO).  

Sharon Vogel, NLIHC board member, chair of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition, and executive director of the Cheyenne River Housing Authority in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, is quoted in Senator Thune’s press release: “Senator Thune has strongly supported expanding homeownership opportunities on Tribal land since his early days in the Senate,” stated Vogel. “From the beginning, he has focused on prioritizing and streamlining mortgage-related processes within the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act advances that work. We appreciate his vision and leadership in making homeownership more accessible for Native families.” 

Read Senator Thune’s press release here.  

Read more about the “Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act” in Vogel’s 2022 testimony to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs here.