Wednesday, Jul 3 2013 12:18PM

New USDA grants may help Navajo Native Americans update their homes.

A number of Navajo Native Americans living in territories where home development was prohibited may now receive grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

More than 8,000 Navajos live on land that, up until 2009, was barred from having infrastructures built on it, including the construction of new homes or changes or updates to existing homes. These restrictions were put in place as a result of a 1966 development "freeze" law. The USDA notes that during the freeze, more than 75 percent of homes in the area were unfit for habitation.

However, USDA Rural Development home improvement grants and loans have helped families, including elderly Native American couple Betty and Kee Acothley, gain access to electricity, lights and indoor plumbing. Formerly, the Acothleys had no access to indoor water system services and were instead forced to bare the extreme temperatures to travel for an hour to fill their water tanks.

Native American housing has gained more federal funding in recent years, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently extended $563 million to 353 Native American and Alaskan Native entities that represent 539 tribes across the U.S. The funds may be used to build affordable housing units, upgrade existing homes or establish housing programs for tribal members. 

For more information, check out this resource: The U.S. Department of Agriculture