Heinrich Continues To Work To Remove Barriers Between Native American Families And Homeownership

Press Release

Today, legislation sponsored by U.S. Representative Martin Heinrich (NM-01) that would remove barriers between Native American families and homeownership passed the House Natural Resources Committee by a unanimous vote.

"Clearing this hurdle in committee means we are closer than ever to putting the dream of owning a home on tribal land within reach of tens of thousands of Native families," said Rep. Heinrich. "The HEARTH Act would cut through bureaucratic red tape and open doors to homeownership for Native American families in New Mexico and across the country."

Rep. Heinrich introduced H.R. 2523, the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act , to remove existing bureaucratic and time obstacles prospective Native American home owners encounter when seeking approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to buy a home on tribal land. The HEARTH Act would expedite the lease approval process for homeownership by allowing tribal governments to approve trust land leases directly, rather than waiting for approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Currently, before Native families can close on the sale of a house, they need approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to lease the land the house is built on. That approval can take between six months and two years. A seller is rarely able to wait two years to sell their house and banks are often unable to hold a mortgage approval for that long. This delay often results in a family deciding to move off tribal land because it's the only way they can own a house, even when they would rather stay in the community where their family has lived for generations.

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