Title 25IndiansRelease 119-73

§4152 Allocation formula

Title 25 › Chapter CHAPTER 43— - NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND SELF-DETERMINATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - ALLOCATION OF GRANT AMOUNTS › § 4152

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires the Secretary to make a formula, within 12 months after October 26, 1996, to divide each year’s block grant money among Indian tribes. The Secretary must hire an expert group to check current data sources (including alternatives to the decennial census) and to suggest ways to collect any missing data. Money needed to do this is allowed and stays available until spent. The formula must use facts that show each tribe’s need for affordable housing help. Main factors include the number of low-income housing units developed under the United States Housing Act of 1937 that a tribe owned or ran on October 1 before the funding year, the level of poverty and economic distress, the number of Indian families in tribal areas, and other measurable conditions tribes and the Secretary agree on. Rules say a unit stops counting if the tribe loses the legal right to it or it is conveyed, demolished, or lost, but special rules let some homeownership units or rebuilt units still count. “Reasons beyond the control of the recipient” include delays in title reports, bad legal descriptions, probate or other title problems, or other legal blocks. The Secretary must also consider each tribe’s administrative capacity and how ending some other assistance will affect State‑recognized tribes. If total money for a year is at least as much as was available for operation and modernization in fiscal year 1996, tribes that got such help in 1996 must get no less than they got in 1996 (with a special rule for tribes owning or operating fewer than 250 units for fiscal year 2001 and later, using the tribe’s average Section 14 funds from fiscal years 1992–1997). If total money is less than the 1996 amount, each tribe must get at least a proportional share based on its 1996 share. The rules took effect on October 26, 1996.

Full Legal Text

Title 25, §4152

Indians — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary shall, by regulations issued not later than the expiration of the 12-month period beginning on October 26, 1996, in the manner provided under section 4116 of this title, establish a formula to provide for allocating amounts available for a fiscal year for block grants under this chapter among Indian tribes in accordance with the requirements of this section.
(2)(A)The Secretary shall enter into a contract with an organization with expertise in housing and other demographic data collection methodologies under which the organization, in consultation with Indian tribes and Indian organizations, shall—
(i)assess existing data sources, including alternatives to the decennial census, for use in evaluating the factors for determination of need described in subsection (b); and
(ii)develop and recommend methodologies for collecting data on any of those factors, including formula area, in any case in which existing data is determined to be insufficient or inadequate, or fails to satisfy the requirements of this chapter.
(B)There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section, to remain available until expended.
(b)The formula shall be based on factors that reflect the need of the Indian tribes and the Indian areas of the tribes for assistance for affordable housing activities, including the following factors:
(1)(A)The number of low-income housing dwelling units developed under the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.), pursuant to a contract between an Indian housing authority for the tribe and the Secretary, that are owned or operated by a recipient on the October 1 of the calendar year immediately preceding the year for which funds are provided, subject to the condition that such a unit shall not be considered to be a low-income housing dwelling unit for purposes of this section if—
(i)the recipient ceases to possess the legal right to own, operate, or maintain the unit; or
(ii)the unit is lost to the recipient by conveyance, demolition, or other means.
(B)If the unit is a homeownership unit not conveyed within 25 years from the date of full availability, the recipient shall not be considered to have lost the legal right to own, operate, or maintain the unit if the unit has not been conveyed to the homebuyer for reasons beyond the control of the recipient.
(C)If the unit is demolished and the recipient rebuilds the unit within 1 year of demolition of the unit, the unit may continue to be considered a low-income housing dwelling unit for the purpose of this paragraph.
(D)In this paragraph, the term “reasons beyond the control of the recipient” means, after making reasonable efforts, there remain—
(i)delays in obtaining or the absence of title status reports;
(ii)incorrect or inadequate legal descriptions or other legal documentation necessary for conveyance;
(iii)clouds on title due to probate or intestacy or other court proceedings; or
(iv)any other legal impediment.
(E)Subparagraphs (A) through (D) shall not apply to any claim arising from a formula current assisted stock calculation or count involving an Indian housing block grant allocation for any fiscal year through fiscal year 2008, if a civil action relating to the claim is filed by not later than 45 days after October 14, 2008.
(2)The extent of poverty and economic distress and the number of Indian families within Indian areas of the tribe.
(3)Other objectively measurable conditions as the Secretary and the Indian tribes may specify.
(c)In establishing the formula, the Secretary shall consider—
(1)the relative administrative capacities and other challenges faced by the recipient, including, but not limited to geographic distribution within the Indian area and technical capacity; and
(2)the extent to which terminations of assistance under subchapter V will affect funding available to State recognized tribes.
(d)(1)(A)Except with respect to an Indian tribe described in subparagraph (B), the formula shall provide that, if, in any fiscal year, the total amount made available for assistance under this chapter is equal to or greater than the total amount made available for fiscal year 1996 for assistance for the operation and modernization of public housing developed or operated pursuant to a contract between the Secretary and an Indian housing authority pursuant to the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.], the amount provided for such fiscal year for each Indian tribe for which such operating or modernization assistance was provided for fiscal year 1996 shall not be less than the total amount of such operating and modernization assistance provided for fiscal year 1996 for such tribe.
(B)With respect to fiscal year 2001 and each fiscal year thereafter, for any Indian tribe with an Indian housing authority that owns or operates fewer than 250 public housing units, the formula shall provide that if the amount provided for a fiscal year in which the total amount made available for assistance under this chapter is equal to or greater than the amount made available for fiscal year 1996 for assistance for the operation and modernization of the public housing referred to in subparagraph (A), then the amount provided to that Indian tribe as modernization assistance shall be equal to the average annual amount of funds provided to the Indian tribe (other than funds provided as emergency assistance) under the assistance program under section 14 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437l) for the period beginning with fiscal year 1992 and ending with fiscal year 1997.
(2)The formula shall provide that, if, in any fiscal year, the total amount made available for assistance under this chapter is less than the total amount made available for fiscal year 1996 for assistance for the operation and modernization of public housing developed or operated pursuant to a contract between the Secretary and an Indian housing authority pursuant to the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.], the amount provided for such fiscal year for each Indian tribe for which such operating or modernization assistance was provided for fiscal year 1996 shall not be less than the amount that bears the same ratio to the total amount available for assistance under this chapter for such fiscal year that the amount of operating and modernization assistance provided for the tribe for fiscal year 1996 bears to the total amount made available for fiscal year 1996 for assistance for the operation and modernization of such public housing.
(e)This section shall take effect on October 26, 1996.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (d), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 104–330, Oct. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 4016, known as the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 4101 of this title and Tables. The United States Housing Act of 1937, referred to in subsecs. (b)(1)(A) and (d), is act Sept. 1, 1937, ch. 896, as revised generally by Pub. L. 93–383, title II, § 201(a), Aug. 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 653, which is classified generally to chapter 8 (§ 1437 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. section 14 of the Act, which was classified to section 1437l of Title 42, was repealed by Pub. L. 105–276, title V, § 522(a), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2564. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1437 of Title 42 and Tables. Subchapter V, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), was in the original “title V”, meaning title V of Pub. L. 104–330, which enacted subchapter V of this chapter and section 12899h–1 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, amended section 1437a, 1437c to 1437e, 1437g, 1437l, 1437n, 1437u to 1437x, 1437aaa–5, 1437aaa–6, 1439, 11371 to 11376, 11382, 11401, 11403g, 11408, 11903a, 12747, and 12838 of Title 42, repealed sections 1437aa to 1437ee of Title 42, enacted provisions set out as notes under section 11371, 12747, and 12899h–1 of Title 42, amended provisions set out as a note under section 11301 of Title 42, and repealed provisions set out as a note under section 1701z–6 of Title 12, Banks and Banking. For complete classification of title V to the Code, see Tables.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–411, § 301(1), designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted heading, and added par. (2). Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 110–411, § 301(2), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “The number of low-income housing dwelling units owned or operated at the time pursuant to a contract between an Indian housing authority for the tribe and the Secretary.” 2000—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 106–568, § 1003(g)(1), and Pub. L. 106–569, § 503(f)(1), which directed identical amendment of par. (1) by substituting subpar. (A) designation, heading, and “Except with respect to an Indian tribe described in subparagraph (B), the formula” for “The formula,”, were executed by making the substitution for “The formula” to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Subsec. (d)(1)(B). Pub. L. 106–568, § 1003(g)(2), and Pub. L. 106–569, § 503(f)(2), amended par. (1) identically, adding subpar. (B).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

25 U.S.C. § 4152

Title 25Indians

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73