ICYMI: MURKOWSKI, SCHATZ HOLD HEARING ON NATIVE HOUSING NEEDS, NEW NAHASDA MODERNIZATION ACT

For Immediate Release

September 23, 2026

Contact:

Hannah Ray (Murkowski) at hannah_ray@indian.senate.gov

Mike Inacay (Schatz) at michael_inacay@schatz.senate.gov

ICYMI: MURKOWSKI, SCHATZ HOLD HEARING ON NATIVE HOUSING NEEDS, NEW NAHASDA MODERNIZATION ACT

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, held an oversight hearing titled, “Examining Housing Needs in Native Communities,” and a legislative hearing to receive testimony on S. 5354, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026 (NAHASDA Modernization Act). The bipartisan NAHASDA Modernization Act, S. 5354, reauthorizes and updates NAHASDA, the primary federal law governing housing assistance in Indian Country.

“Today’s hearing underscored the importance of reauthorizing and modernizing NAHASDA. For 30 years, this landmark law has emphasized that Tribes – not folks in Washington – know the needs of their communities best. As we look to the next 30 years, we have a responsibility to give Tribes the flexibility and resources they need to help address their housing challenges and build stronger futures for their families,” said Chairman Murkowski. “Housing is the foundation of safe, healthy, thriving communities. We must ensure NAHASDA keeps pace with the evolving needs and opportunities facing American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples.”

A video of the full opening statement delivered by the Chairman is available here. 

“Vice Chairman Schatz provided the following statement for the record, “For 30 years, NAHASDA has been the anchor of the federal government’s trust responsibility to provide housing to Tribes and Native Hawaiians. But Tribal and Native Hawaiian housing programs need new tools and resources to meet today’s realities and tomorrow’s demands. The NAHASDA Modernization Act does more than reauthorize existing programs – it modernizes them to meet the unique challenges Native communities face. I’m confident that our efforts to modernize NAHASDA can deliver meaningful results that Native families will see and feel in their own communities for generations to come.”  

Witnesses included:

1. MS. HILARY ATKIN, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs, Office of Public and Indian Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC
2. THE HONORABLE BRYAN WARNER, Deputy Principal Chief, Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK
3. DR. ALICIA PUENTE CACKLEY, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC

The bill introduced in August 2026 by Chairman Murkowski and Vice Chairman Schatz, S. 5354, is a revised version of the NAHASDA Modernization Act, S. 4276, which was introduced in the Senate in March 2026. The updated legislation, S. 5354, reflects continued engagement with Native communities and housing organizations to modernize NAHASDA.

Witness testimony and an archived video of the hearing are available on the Committee website.

The Committee will continue to accept written testimony until September 30, 2026. Testimony may be submitted to testimony@indian.senate.gov.

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