Final regulations governing the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Housing Improvement Program (HIP) published in the Federal Register May 2 become effective June 1, the Bureau said today.
The program is primarily aimed at helping Indians make needed repairs, renovations and enlargements of their hares.
It provides grants up to $10,000 for such work when the homes can thereby be brought up to standards. Grants up to $2,500 are permitted for work on dwellings which cannot be brought to standard, but need work to reduce safety or health hazards and improve livability. This is done only as a stop-gap measure until standard housing is available.
Assistance is based on need in relation to family size, income and the unavailability of other housing assistance.
Grants are also available to make Indian families eligible for housing loans from tribal, Federal or other credit sources. The program can also provide grants for financing new housing when there is no prospect of standard housing being financed from other sources.
Approximately $10 million was appropriated for the program for the year ending June 30, 1975.
