Infrastructure and Community Development

Indian Country faces significant and wide-ranging infrastructure deficits that affect nearly every aspect of daily life in Tribal communities. Housing remains a critical need, with many Native homes still falling well below national standards — approximately 5.6 percent lacking complete plumbing and 6.6 percent lacking complete kitchen facilities, nearly four times the national average. While the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) has helped Tribal Nations make progress, growing Tribal populations and the law's lapse in congressional reauthorization since 2013 have left many communities without adequate, affordable housing. Homelessness is also a persistent challenge, particularly for Native veterans, and the lack of housing makes it difficult for Tribal Nations to recruit essential personnel like teachers, health care workers, and law enforcement officers.

Transportation and telecommunications infrastructure compound these challenges further. Thousands of miles of roads in Indian Country remain among the most underdeveloped and unsafe in the nation, hindering access to schools, emergency services, and economic activity. Tribal lands are also the least connected areas of the country when it comes to broadband access, with only 71 percent of Tribal households connected compared to a national average of 90 percent — and in some communities like the Navajo Nation, broadband access drops to just 33 percent. NCAI has been at the forefront of advocating for federal investment in these areas, working with Congress, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other agencies to ensure that any national infrastructure plan fully and meaningfully includes Indian Country.

Focus Areas and Goals

To address these challenges, the NCAI Policy Team focuses on advocacy in the following areas:

1. Housing Access and Affordability

Advocate for the reauthorization, modernization, and full funding of NAHASDA to ensure Tribal Nations have the resources necessary to build, maintain, and expand safe and affordable housing in Tribal communities. Work to address homelessness among Tribal members and Native veterans by expanding eligibility and funding for housing assistance programs beyond current NAHASDA programs and qualifications.

2. Workforce Housing and Recruitment

Advance policies that support the development of workforce housing on Tribal lands to help Tribal governments recruit and retain critical personnel, including teachers, healthcare professionals, and law enforcement officers.

3. Transportation Infrastructure

Advocate for increased federal investment in Tribal transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and transit systems, to ensure that Tribal communities have safe and reliable access to schools, emergency services, and economic opportunities. Work to ensure Indian Country is explicitly included in any national infrastructure legislation.

4. Broadband and Telecommunications Access

Push for targeted federal funding and the removal of regulatory barriers to accelerate broadband deployment on Tribal lands, closing the significant connectivity gap between Tribal communities and the national average. Advocate for expanded access to telehealth, distance learning, and economic development opportunities made possible through reliable high-speed internet.

5. Tribal Capacity and Infrastructure Planning

Support Tribal governments in developing the technical and administrative capacity to plan, manage, and execute infrastructure projects, ensuring that federal investments translate into lasting improvements in Indian Country.

Associated Organizations

National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC)

Intertribal Transportation Association

National Tribal Telecommunications Association

Native American Code Officials

South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition

NCN

Associated NCAI Bodies

Associated Committees and Subcommittees:

Economic, Finance, and Community Development Committee

Housing Subcommittee

Technology and Communications Subcommittee

Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee

Associated Task Forces:

Technology Task Force

NCAI-Intertribal Transportation Association Transportation Task Force

Associated Legislation

  1. H.R.8092/S.5354 - NAHASDA Reauthorization/Modernization – The NAHASDA Modernization Act of 2026 seeks to reauthorize and update the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act through 2032, addressing a more than decade-long lapse since Congress last reauthorized the law in 2013. Led by NCAI and the NAIHC , the legislation aims to build on NAHASDA's proven track record — which has supported the development of an estimated 40,000 homeownership units and 25,000 rental units in Tribal communities since 1996 — by modernizing key provisions across four priority areas: cutting federal red tape through streamlined and consolidated environmental reviews; expanding housing supply by enabling 99-year leasehold interests on trust land to unlock private financing and permanently authorizing the Tribal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program for Native veterans; affirming Tribal self-determination by allowing Tribal Nations to set rental policies based on local priorities and empowering TDHEs to certify key housing and environmental processes; and reducing administrative burden by consolidating HUD reporting requirements so that more Tribal housing resources reach families in need.

  2. H.R. 8870 – The BUILD America 250 (Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th) is a comprehensive surface transportation reauthorization bill covering federal-aid highways, bridge programs, highway safety, transit, and rail for FY 2027–2031. Introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Sam Graves on a bipartisan basis, the bill carries a total authorization of approximately $580 billion — directing $474 billion in contract authority, $65 billion to rail programs, and $41 billion for discretionary grant programs such as the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects (INFRA) program. The bill's most significant Tribal-specific provisions are concentrated in Sections 1131–1136, 1216, and related authorizations under Section 1101.

    The Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) under 23 U.S.C. § 202 is reauthorized at steadily increasing levels: $643 million (FY 2027), $657 million (FY 2028), $671 million (FY 2029), $686 million (FY 2030), and $701 million (FY 2031) — a total of approximately $3.36 billion over five years, which is an increase over current authorization levels.

  3. H.R. 5824 – The Tribal Affordable Housing Act, introduced by Rep. Stansbury (D-NM-1) directs the Secretary of HUD to establish a competitive grant program — funded at $150 million per fiscal year beginning in FY 2026 — specifically targeting smaller Tribal Nations and their TDHEs that have historically received limited federal housing dollars. Eligible recipients are limited to Tribal Nations or TDHEs that received less than $500,000 in Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) allocations from HUD in any one of the five prior fiscal years under the NAHASDA, ensuring that the program directs resources to the most underserved Tribal communities. Grants may be used to build new residential dwelling units on Tribal land or to add necessary features that improve or enable the construction of existing units, with all program activities administered in accordance with NAHASDA's established requirements. The legislation must be implemented within one year of enactment, providing a targeted complement to the broader NAHASDA framework by addressing the gap faced by smaller Tribal Nations that receive insufficient funding under the existing formula-based Indian Housing Block Grant program.

  4. SA 4354 – AFFORD Act, introduced in the 119th Congress with bipartisan support from 30 U.S. Senators, amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to strengthen federal support for CDFIs through four key provisions. The Act improves the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program by extending its authorization through at least December 31, 2030, and setting a guarantee floor of $25 million with an annual ceiling of $1 billion; enhances CDFI liquidity under Section 113 by authorizing the CDFI Fund to purchase loans, provide credit enhancements, and increase individual award limits from $5 million to $20 million; and requires annual Treasury Secretary testimony before Congress on CDFI Fund operations. Of particular significance for Native communities, Section 5 permanently authorizes a Native CDFI Relending Program under Section 502 of the Housing Act of 1949, setting aside up to $50 million per fiscal year in direct loans to Treasury-certified Native CDFIs — defined as entities at least 51 percent owned and controlled by and serving Tribal Nations, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian communities — to expand mortgage lending on priority Tribal lands, with participating institutions required to provide a 20 percent non-federal match, submit annual lending reports, and be eligible to receive operational support grants equal to 20 percent of their direct loan amount, alongside $1 million per year in authorized technical assistance funding for fiscal years 2025 through 2027.

  5. Tribal Internet Expansion Act of 2025 (S. 3184 / H.R. 6067) — This bill would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to add access to telecommunications and information services in Indian Country and areas with high populations of Indian people to the universal service principle currently applied to rural, insular, and high-cost areas. Companion bills were introduced in both chambers. Specifically, the legislation would strengthen the Universal Service Fund by formally recognizing Indian Country within its universal service principles — a change NCAI has long advocated for. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in November 2025. It has not yet advanced out of committee.

Past Year Achievements

The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (Public Law 118-210)

Enacted on January 2, 2025, this legislation aims to support veterans and their families by addressing a broad spectrum of issues including health care, economic opportunities, support for caregivers, and veteran homelessness. The text from the Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Improvement Act included in the larger bill will reform the NADL program and make it more accessible to Native American veterans living on trust land.

Section 231 expands refinancing authority to cover any existing mortgage on trust land property — not just prior Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) loans — and requires the VA to partner with Tribal organizations and local nonprofits for homebuyer education and housing counseling. It also mandates that the VA assign dedicated personnel to the program, including construction and valuation specialists equipped to handle the unique demands of building and renovating on federal trust land.

Section 232 addresses the VA's historically limited reach into Tribal communities by creating a CDFI relending mechanism, authorizing the VA to make direct loans to Native CDFIs, which then relend those funds to qualified Native American veterans. This structure leverages the established community relationships and trust land lending expertise that CDFIs possess, extending the NADL benefit to veterans whom the traditional VA delivery model has consistently failed to reach.

The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025 (S. 723)

This bill addresses a long-standing structural barrier to homeownership in Indian Country by reforming the BIA’s mortgage review and processing functions. It establishes statutory deadlines requiring the BIA to acknowledge receipt of mortgage packages, complete preliminary reviews within 10 days, and issue approvals or denials within 20 to 30 days depending on application type. It also sets firm response timelines for certified Title Status Reports and requires the BIA to notify lenders of any processing delays.

To further modernize the process, the bill grants applicable federal agencies and Tribal Nations read-only access to land title records within the Trust Asset and Accounting Management System, closing a persistent information gap that has complicated loan underwriting on trust land. It also directs the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on the digitization of trust land mortgage documents. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and the House 384–40 in December 2025, and was signed into law by the President.

NAHASDA Reauthorization Two-Part Webinar Series (October 28, 2025 and January 21, 2026)

Conducted collaboratively by NCAI and the NAIHC The first webinar served as an introductory session focused on laying the groundwork for the NAHASDA reauthorization campaign heading into the 119th Congress. It established the case for why reauthorization is needed, grounding the argument in NAHASDA's track record since 1996 and framing the legislative moment as a critical window for reform. The webinar identified key congressional stakeholders across both chambers, with particular focus on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, chaired by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) as Vice-Chairman, and the House Committee on Financial Services, chaired by Rep. French Hill (R-AR), with its Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance chaired by Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE).

The second webinar represented a more substantive policy deep dive into the specific legislative recommendations NCAI and NAIHC were advancing for NAHASDA reauthorization; these recommendations originated from the HUD-Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee advisory body. Presented by senior staff from both organizations along with majority staff from the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the webinar walked through:

  • Eighteen recommendations spanning environmental review exemptions and waivers

  • Consolidated reporting requirements

  • A 10-year funding reauthorization of the block grant program

  • Build America Buy America Act exemptions

  • Continuum of Care reforms, direct housing counseling grant eligibility for Tribal Nations and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs)

  • Procurement threshold increases, authorization of IHS funds for sanitation facilities in NAHASDA projects

  • Automatic CDFI and Community-Based Development Organization status

  • Formal statutory authorization of the Tribal HUD-VASH program with a dedicated 5 percent funding set-aside for homeless Native veterans

  • Expanded Section 184 and 184A loan programs

  • 99-year trust land leases to facilitate private financing

  • Clarification of technical assistance delivery in alignment with Tribal self-determination principles

January 2026 (Broadband Infrastructure & Consultation): Issued a formal statement on January 19 raising serious concerns over the federal cancellation of approximately $160 million in Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) funding, calling on National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to honor awarded funds, pause new rule changes, and engage in meaningful government-to-government consultation.

January 2026 (Artificial Intelligence (AI) Infrastructure & Water Protection): Submitted formal opposition on January 28 to S. 3585 (DATA Act), warning Congress that fast-tracking energy infrastructure for hyperscale AI data centers threatens reserved Tribal water rights under the Winters doctrine and circumvents mandatory NEPA and NHPA Section 106 environmental and historic reviews.

Native Veterans Housing Advocacy (February 24, 2026)

NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright Jr. served as a witness before a joint hearing of the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees. NCAI’s written testimony covered a range of issues affecting AI/AN veterans, including health care appropriations, food assistance, the VA Tribal Advisory Committee, and a National Veterans Strategy. Housing remained a key issue within the testimony, which advanced four distinct policy priorities: full implementation of the NADL program, implementation of the Elizabeth Dole Act, continuation of the NADL 2.5 percent interest rate, and expansion of the Tribal HUD-VASH program.

Both written and oral testimony addressed the persistent gap between the NADL program's statutory promise and its on-the-ground implementation — citing GAO data showing that the VA originated only 89 NADL loans in the contiguous United States and none in Alaska, reaching less than one percent of the estimated 64,000–70,000 eligible veterans. The testimony called for urgent implementation of Sections 231 and 232 of the Elizabeth Dole Act, noting that the VA's current hiring freeze has hindered both existing NADL delivery and the establishment of the new CDFI relending program authorized under Section 232 — which is set to sunset on September 30, 2027, and will require reauthorization.

Executive Director Wright Jr. highlighted that maintaining the 2.5 percent interest rate is essential to ensuring that the expanded refinancing authority Congress provided in the Elizabeth Dole Act translates into real homeownership gains, and called on Congress to remove restrictions limiting the Tribal HUD-VASH program from serving veterans residing in current assisted housing units managed by TDHEs

June 2026 (Universal Service Fund and Digital Inclusion): Submitted reply comments on June 2 opposing proposed FCC Lifeline verification mandates—including nine-digit Social Security number requirements and continuous digital wallet tracking—while advocating an increase in the Enhanced Tribal Lifeline benefit to $75 per month to offset the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and for an end to the voice-only phase-down.

July 2026 (Critical Infrastructure and Cultural Site Protection): Submitted comments on July 6 regarding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Notice No. 26-03 (14 C.F.R. Part 74), urging the FAA to remove the 500-inmate threshold that excludes all 77 Tribal justice facilities from critical airspace protections, incorporate Section 304 NHPA confidentiality rules for sacred sites like Snoqualmie Falls, and mandate Tribal consultation for restrictions within 5 miles of Tribal trust lands.

Next Year Goals

Tribal Transportation

H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 (Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th) has been introduced and is awaiting a Senate companion bill. Tribal transportation needs are currently addressed through annual appropriations and the existing Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) framework, which expires after FY 2026, making surface transportation reauthorization a key upcoming legislative vehicle for Tribal transportation priorities. NCAI Resolution No. NC-25-002, Support for the InterTribal Transportation Association’s Proposed Tribal Transportation/Infrastructure and Tribal Transit Elements to the Next Congressional Transportation Reauthorization Bill. The resolution outlines sixteen reauthorization priorities recommended by the ITA that range from funding authorizations and exemption from obligation limitation deductions to negotiated rulemaking on the TTP funding formula, Tribal consultation, and other measures.

Telecommunications

ACP

The ACP was an FCC initiative that provided broadband subsidies to more than 21 million households across the country. It is crucial that Congress work to keep broadband affordable for millions of families who benefited from this program. The loss of this vital broadband affordability program was a step in the wrong direction for Indian Country, and the countless Tribal citizens who relied on it for affordable access to the internet.

The ACP and its monthly discount on broadband services ended on June 1, 2024. Due to a lack of additional funding from Congress, the ACP stopped accepting new applications as of February 7, 2024, and the last fully funded month was April 2024.

NCAI Resolution No. NC-24-007 identifies three long-term requests beyond immediate short-term funding. Most significantly, it calls upon Congress to develop permanent funding solutions for the ACP, moving beyond stopgap measures to ensure the program's indefinite continuation. It also urges the FCC to publicly release ACP transparency data specific to Tribal lands — noting that as of the May 2024 data release, no such Tribal-level data had been made available — which would allow for better accountability and policy planning within Tribal communities.

TBCP

The TBCP was authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and further expanded through the IIJA (Public Law 117-58), marking a historic federal investment of nearly $3 billion to expand internet access across Indian Country and address longstanding gaps in digital connectivity. The program has experienced tremendous demand from Tribal Nations, with second-round applications totaling nearly three times the available funding. The program has become the cornerstone of federal efforts to close the digital divide in Tribal communities.

In early 2026, the Trump Administration announced a pause and restructuring of the program to align with Administration priorities, resulting in the cancellation of over $160 million in previously announced grants and halting awards for more than 100 pending applicants while new rules are developed. There are concerns that these changes could shift funding toward lower-cost technologies that may not provide the same long-term reliability as fiber infrastructure.

In response to the disparity in how earned program income is treated across federal broadband programs, NCAI Resolution No. LV-24-059 calls upon NTIA to issue guidance harmonizing income policies between the TBCP and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD), allowing Tribal TBCP awardees to retain earned income with the same flexibility afforded to BEAD subgrantees. This policy change, which falls within the discretion of the NTIA Assistant Secretary, would provide Tribal broadband operators with greater financial flexibility to sustain and grow their networks over the long term.

Recognizing the compounding challenges facing Tribal broadband projects — including federal delays, inflation, shipping disruptions, and the Administration's 2025 program restructuring — NCAI Resolution No. SEA-25-125 establishes the following additional advocacy priorities:

  • Grant two-year no-cost extensions to all Round 1 recipients facing active project delays without penalty or clawback risk;

  • Fully restore and immediately obligate all Round 2 funding without applying BEAD-derived cost benchmarks or duplication metrics that disadvantage remote Tribal projects;

  • Cease imposition of new performance criteria on existing TBCP awards without formal Tribal consultation and require NTIA to respond in writing to concerns raised in the November 6, 2025, Senate oversight letter;

  • Establish a supplemental funding pool for Round 1 grantees impacted by inflation and federal permitting delays, consistent with FY 2026 appropriations direction; issue formal clarification on the eligibility of non-deployment activities such as digital equity and workforce training under both TBCP and BEAD; and

  • Suspend any clawback of unobligated Tribal broadband funds while projects remain active and compliant, and ensure that no state may exclude Tribal lands from broadband planning without express written consent from the governing Tribal Nation.

NCAI’s continued advocacy of broadband as an expression of Tribal sovereignty and commitment to securing congressional action to restore, extend, and strengthen the TBCP as a permanent Tribal broadband infrastructure program will guide policy advocacy and education efforts.

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