NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING: VA Could Address Some Barriers to Participation in Direct Loan Program
Abstract
The homeownership rate among Native Americans1 is one of the lowest in the United States. While over 67 percent of Americans own their homes, fewer than 33 percent of Native Americans own homes. For Native Americans living on trust lands-lands held by the federal government for the benefit of Native Americans-homeownership opportunities are more limited, because lenders typically require that buyers own the land on which their homes will be located. Because private institutions have rarely supplied conventional home loans to Native Americans on trust lands, several federal programs have been developed to provide homeownership opportunities for Native Americans. For example, in 1992, the Congress directed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create the Native American Veterans Direct Home Loan Program to assist veterans in purchasing, constructing, and improving homes. The program has a specific focus; it is intended to serve veterans living on trust or equivalent lands on the mainland and in Hawaii and the Pacific. To obtain loans under this program, veterans must meet income, credit, and other requirements; and VA must have memorandums of understanding covering foreclosure and other issues with tribes or other entities that have jurisdiction over the lands involved. The Congress reauthorized the program in 1997 and 2001 and is considering making the program permanent when it is up for reauthorization again in 2005. To inform the Congress as it considers making this program permanent, you requested that we analyze which veterans the program has served and assess VA's response to requirements specified in the program's authorizing legislation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA405723
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office