SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire’s Tribal Housing Reconstruction and Resiliency Act, which will create the first-ever dedicated tribal housing funding program in California, was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom this morning.
 

Senate Bill 1187, a two-year effort by Senator McGuire to address the desperate need for Tribal housing across the state, creates a tribal-specific housing program for the construction and rehabilitation of affordable homes for rent and sale. The program will also provide technical assistance to help tribal governments navigate the complex web of regulations that often hinder tribal housing projects.
 

Native American communities continue to face some of the most severe housing shortages in the state. Homelessness among Indigenous Californians is up to double that of the general population. One-third of Tribal residents live below the federal poverty line, more than twice that of the rest of California’s population. Approximately 9 percent of Tribes in California have homes that lack complete plumbing, and 7 percent lack complete kitchens, according to U.S. Census data. 
 

More than a third of Native households live in overcrowded conditions, and nearly two of every five tribal member households are rent-overburdened, further exacerbating the housing affordability crisis, according to a study by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation and the California Coalition for Rural Housing. 
 

 “Housing insecurity is a public health crisis in many Tribal communities. Native Americans are disproportionately represented among the state’s homeless population, which is rooted in historic racism, long-term underinvestment, and lack of funding for eligible housing,” said Pro Tem McGuire. “To truly fix this crisis, we’ve worked in close partnership with California Tribal Leaders and organizations to end this injustice by passing the Tribal Housing Act. This measure will advance desperately needed dedicated affordable housing funding that meets the unique needs of tribal communities. I appreciate Governor Newsom’s support for this effort, and signing this critical legislation into law.”
 

Despite the clear need, the overwhelming majority of Tribes in California have been unable to access existing state affordable housing funds. Pre-existing funds are often too restrictive for tribes to meet the threshold and compliance requirements, and many of the requirements are mismatched compared to the needs that exist on Tribal land.
 

The Tribal Housing Act will address the severe housing shortage that exists on tribal lands by creating a new and separate housing program for tribal governments, taking a similar approach to the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program, which is a designated fund that exclusively serves the housing needs of farm workers across the Golden State.

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Mike McGuire is President pro Tempore of the California Senate. He represents the North Coast of California, which stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border, including Del Norte, Trinity, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties. Website of Senate Leader McGuire: https://sd02.senate.ca.gov/