NOW MORE BROADLY BASED AND ARE NOT CONFINED TO THE ADDITION
OF BATHROOMS. NEVERTHELESS, MUCH OF THE NEW HOUSE BUILDING
EFFORT WAS AND IS STILL SUPPORTED BY THE IHS'S WATER AND
SANITATION FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION.

THE NEW HOUSE BUILDING EFFORT EVOLVED INTO THREE MAIN AREAS OF ASSISTANCE. (1) A TRANSITIONAL HOUSING EFFORT OF NON-STANDARD LOW COST HOUSING USUALLY OF MINIMUM SQUARE FOOTAGE AND DESIGNED TO BE EXPANDED. (2) A DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COST CATEGORY FOR FAMILIES THAT COULD OBTAIN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER SOURCES BUT COULD NOT AFFORD

"UP FRONT" COSTS. (3) A NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES

WHICH BECAUSE OF POVERTY, ISOLATION, FAMILY STRUCTURE, OR
UNUSUAL FACTORS, COULD NOT OBTAIN DECENT HOUSING FROM ANY
OTHER SOURCE BUT THE HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM MAY BE USEFUL AT THIS POINT. THE PRESENT HIP IS DIVIDED INTO REPAIR AND NEW HOUSE BUILDING EFFORTS. THE REPAIR CATEGORIES PROVIDE FOR RENOVATION, REPAIRS, OR ADDITIONS TO EXISTING STRUCTURALLY SOUND HOMES. THE NEW HOUSE BUILDING CATEGORIES PROVIDE GRANTS TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF NEW HOMES AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOME NEW HOUSING FOR CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE INDIAN POPULATION WHO SIMPLY CANNOT BE SERVED BY OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS.

ALSO DURING THAT TIME, THE BUREAU'S HOUSING EFFORT WAS DIRECTLY SUPPORTING THE PUBLIC HOUSING ADMINISTRATION (PHA) FINANCED INDIAN HOUSING EFFORT, AND IN ORDER THAT THE TWO PROGRAMS NOT OVERLAP, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE BUREAU HOUSING PROGRAM WOULD SERVE THE VERY POOR. CONSEQUENTLY, THE EARLY APPROPRIATION REQUESTS FOR HOUSING IMPROVEMENT APPEAR AS A SUB-ACTIVITY WITHIN THE WELFARE SERVICES REQUEST. THE INITIAL REQUESTS WERE FOR $500,000 IN FY 1964 AND $500,000 IN FY 1965.

AS THE HUD PROGRAM GREW, THE BUREAU CHANGED ITS CONSTRUCTION EFFORT MORE TOWARDS A HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. BY FY 1967 THE MAIN THRUST OF THE HIP WAS THE REPAIR AND RENOVATION OF EXISTING STRUCTURES. THIS REPAIR AND RENOVATION EFFORT FOLLOWED THE POLICY OF MAKING NEEDED REPAIRS FOR THE HEALTH AND/OR SAFETY OF OCCUPANTS UNTIL THEY COULD OBTAIN STANDARD HOUSING AND OF PRESERVING WHAT STRUCTURALLY SOUND HOUSES WERE AVAILABLE BY BRINGING SUCH HOMES TO STANDARD CONDITION.

FROM THE INCEPTION, THE REPAIR EFFORT BECAME CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE IHS EFFORT UNDER PUBLIC LAW 36-121 AND CONCENTRATED ON PROVIDING BATHROOM ADDITIONS TO EXISTING STRUCTURES. ALTHOUGH THE IHS AND BIA PROGRAMS ARE STILL CLOSELY ASSOCIATED, THE REPAIR AND RENOVATION EFFORTS ARE

NOW MORE BROADLY BASED AND ARE NOT CONFINED TO THE ADDITION

OF BATHROOMS,

NEVERTHELESS, MUCH OF THE NEW HOUSE BUILDING EFFORT WAS AND IS STILL SUPPORTED BY THE IHS'S WATER AND

SANITATION FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION.

THE NEW HOUSE BUILDING EFFORT EVOLVED INTO THREE MAIN AREAS OF ASSISTANCE. (1) A TRANSITIONAL HOUSING EFFORT OF NON-STANDARD LOW COST HOUSING USUALLY OF MINIMUM SQUARE

FOOTAGE AND DESIGNED TO BE EXPANDED. (2) A DOWN PAYMENT

AND CLOSING COST CATEGORY FOR FAMILIES THAT COULD OBTAIN
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER SOURCES BUT COULD NOT AFFORD
"UP FRONT" COSTS. (3) A NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES
WHICH BECAUSE OF POVERTY, ISOLATION, FAMILY STRUCTURE, OR
UNUSUAL FACTORS, COULD NOT OBTAIN DECENT HOUSING FROM ANY
OTHER SOURCE BUT THE HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM MAY BE USEFUL AT THIS POINT. THE PRESENT HIP IS DIVIDED INTO REPAIR AND NEW HOUSE BUILDING EFFORTS. THE REPAIR CATEGORIES PROVIDE FOR RENOVATION, REPAIRS, OR ADDITIONS TO EXISTING STRUCTURALLY SOUND HOMES. THE NEW HOUSE BUILDING CATEGORIES PROVIDE GRANTS TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF NEW HOMES AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOME NEW HOUSING FOR CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE INDIAN POPULATION WHO SIMPLY CANNOT BE SERVED BY OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS.

MORE SPECIFICALLY THE TWO TYPES OF REPAIR CATEGORIES

IN USE ARE: CATEGORY (1) REPAIRS TO HOUSING THAT WILL REMAIN
SUBSTANDARD BUT NEED REPAIRS FOR THE HEALTH AND/OR SAFETY OF
THE OCCUPANTS; AND CATEGORY (2) REPAIRS TO BRING HOUSING TO
A STANDARD CONDITION. THE TWO TYPES OF NEW HOUSE BUILDING
CATEGORIES IN USE ARE: CATEGORY (3), COMMONLY KNOWN AS DOWN
PAYMENTS, PROVIDES PROSPECTIVE HOMEOWNERS WITH DOWN PAYMENT
AND CLOSING COST MONEY IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM ELIGIBLE FOR
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN THE BUREAU OF
INDIAN AFFAIRS; AND CATEGORY (4), THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW
HOUSES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHOSE INCOME, LIVING CONDITION, AND
FAMILY SITUATION, ARE SUCH THAT THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR
OTHER HOUSING PROGRAMS.

THE HIP IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS FOR INDIAN PEOPLE. IT IS PARTICULARLY ADAPTABLE AND IS KEPT THAT WAY IN ORDER TO GET DOWN TO THE PERSON FOR WHOM IT IS INTENDED WITH A MINIMUM OF ADMINISTRATION AND A MAXIMUM OF IMPACT. NEVERTHELESS,

AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE HIP IS THAT THE EFFORT BE OF A QUALITY AND SUFFICIENCY THAT THE RECIPIENT CAN TAKE PRIDE IN THE FINISHED PRODUCT. HIP HOUSING INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF WATER AND UTILITIES BUT PROVIDES FOR MODERN CONVENIENCES INCLUDING LIVING SPACE AND STORAGE SPACE THAT ARE SO NECESSARY FOR FAMILY LIVING.

WHEREVER POSSIBLE, THE HIP IS CARRIED OUT IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS. THIS HAS ENABLED THE BIA TO USE THE HIP FUNDS MAINLY FOR BUILDING MATERIALS AND SKILLED LABOR. THE

RESULT OF THIS POLICY HAS BEEN TO ACHIEVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF
PRODUCTION THAN WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN EXPECTED.
EXAMPLE, FOR THE LAST THREE FISCAL YEARS THE APPROPRIATION AND
PRODUCTION FIGURES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

FOR

ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE BIA'S HOUSING EFFORT IS THE RESIDENT TRAINING AND COUNSELLING PROGRAM (COMMONLY KNOWN AS RTCP). THE INDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITIES AND THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS HAVE LONG RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND COUNSELLING TO FAMILIES PARTICIPATING IN VARIOUS FEDERALLYASSISTED HOUSING PROGRAMS. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE INDIAN HOUSING PROGRAM IN THE EARLY 1960'S, SEVERAL HOMEOWNERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN IN INDIAN COMMUNITIES. NONE OF THESE PRIOR EFFORTS PROVED SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE INDIAN PEOPLE WERE NOT RECEPTIVE TO THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND THE METHODS OF INSTRUCTION USED.