Categories of Housing Improvement Assistance

Standard housing means a house that meets the following conditions.

(1) General construction conforms to applicable tribal, county, State, or national codes and to appropriate building standards for the region.

(2) The heating system has the capacity to maintain a minimum temperature of 70 degrees in the house during the coldest weather in the area and be safe to operate and maintain and deliver a uniform heat distribution.

(3) The plumbing system includes a properly installed system of piping and fixtures certified by a licensed plumbing contractor.

(4) The electrical system includes wiring and equipment properly installed to safely supply electrical energy for lighting and appliance operation certified by a licensed electrician according to the applicable electrical code.

(5) The number of occupants per house does not exceed these limits:

(i) Two-bedroom house: Up to four persons;

(ii) Three-bedroom house: Up to six persons;

(iii) Four-bedroom house: Adequate for all but the largest families.

(6) The first bedroom has up to 120 sq. ft. of floor space and additional bedrooms have up to 100 sq. ft. of floor space each.

(7) The house site provides economical access to utilities and is easy to enter and leave.

(8) The house has access to school bus routes, if the household includes children who rely on school buses.

This type of aid provides up to $7,500 in housing repairs for health and safety threatening conditions. Repairs are intended to make the home safe to live in and may not restore the home to standard condition. Eligible repairs may include roof, foundation, installation of handicap ramps, bathroom floor and energy retrofit. Applicants who have received this type of assistance may be eligible to receive Housing Program services again.

This type of aid provides up to $60,000 to raise the conditions of a house up to building code standards. Home repairs are intended to bring the home to standard condition. Eligible repairs but not limited to, are roof and foundation repair, flooring, electrical repair, water heater repair or replacement, water damage, plumbing, window replacement. Pryor to receiving this type of assistance, the grantee must sign a written agreement that if he/she sells the house within the five years from the date of ownership, the grant is voided and the full amount of the HIP grant will be repaid to the tribe at the time of settlement.

This type of aid provides a modest replacement home when it is not possible to bring a home up to building code standards. When a home system is damaged to the point that it can't be repaired without sinking a large amount of money into it, a replacement home is necessary. Pryor to receiving this type of assistance, the grantee must sign a written agreement that if he/she sells the house within the ten years from the date of ownership, the grant is voided and the full amount of the HIP grant will be repaid to the tribe at the time of settlement. Subsequent to the first ten (10) years, if the Grantee sells the house, the tribe will retain ten percent (10%) of the original grant amount per year beginning on the eleventh (11th) year with the remaining amount of the grant to be repaid to the tribe. If the sale occurs twenty (20) or more years after the house's initial occupancy, no repayment of any part of the grant will be due the tribe.

This type of aid provides a modest new home for those who do not own a home. You may also be eligible for this type of aid if you are the owner of land suitable for housing or the leaseholder for land suitable for housing and the lease is for more than 25 years when assistance is received. Pryor to receiving this type of assistance, the grantee must sign a written agreement that if he/she sells the house within the first ten years from the date of ownership, the grant is voided and the full amount of the HIP grant will be repaid to the tribe at the time of settlement. Subsequent to the first ten (10) years, if the Grantee sells the house, the tribe will retain ten percent (10%) of the original grant amount per year beginning on the eleventh (11th) year with the remaining amount of the grant to be repaid to the tribe. If the sale occurs twenty (20) or more years after the house's initial occupancy, no repayment of any part of the grant will be due the tribe.

Down Payment Assistance (DPA) helps tribal homebuyers with grants and low-interest loans that reduce the amount they need to purchase a home and reduces the monthly mortgage payment amount. The BIA does not process the mortgage loans, but is processed by the tribe, housing authority or community financial institutions established by the tribe. This activity provides a grant at the closing of the loan and the applicant must have good credit and complete a first-time homebuyer class.