This study responds to a Congressional mandate, under Section 561 of the 1990 National Affordable Housing Act, to examine the feasibility of greater use of Section 8 vouchers and certificates by Indian Housing Authorities (IHAs).

The study relies on decennial census information, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) data, discussions with HUD Central and Field Office staff, and on consultations with IHA officials and national experts. The analysis provides an exploratory examination of the heterogeneous housing needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives (hereafter referred to as American Indians/Alaska Natives*), the current level of use of vouchers by IHAs, and of various barriers limiting the use of Section 8 vouchers by IHAs. The fact that IHAs function in such a variety of environments-- from urban enclaves to remote areas-- makes generalizations on this subject problematic.

This report is part of the collection of scanned historical documents available to the public.