Indian Affairs Committee Hearings to examine the Small Business Administration Native 8(a) program, in Washington, DC on February 10, 2026. (Official U.S. Senate photo by Daniel Lightfoot)

Overview:

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will examine housing challenges facing Native communities and consider proposed updates to the federal Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi), vice chair, will lead a pair of hearings Wednesday, September 16, 2026, examining housing needs in Native communities and proposed changes to federal housing policy.

The committee will hold an oversight hearing titled “Examining Housing Needs in Native Communities,” followed by a legislative hearing to receive testimony on S. 5354, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026 (NAHASDA Modernization Act).

The hearings are scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The bill introduced by Chairman Murkowski and Vice Chair Schatz, S. 5354, is a revised version of the NAHASDA Modernization Act, S. 4276, which was introduced in the Senate in March 2026. The updated legislation, S. 5354, reflects continued engagement with Native communities and housing organizations to modernize NAHASDA.

Witnesses will include:

  • MS. HILARY ATKIN, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs, Office of Public and Indian Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC
  • THE HONORABLE BRYAN WARNER, Deputy Principal Chief, Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK
  • DR. ALICIA PUENTE CACKLEY, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC

Witness testimony will be available on the Committee’s website at the start of the hearing.

The hearing will be webcast live on the Committee’s website. Archived video will be available shortly after the proceedings conclude.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT:
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing titled, “Examining Housing Needs in Native Communities,” and legislative hearing to receive testimony on S. 5354, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026.

WHEN:
Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 2:30 PM ET

WHERE:
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628
Watch live on the Committee website.