Native American Housing Initiatives Grants Program

The Native American Housing Initiatives Grants Program (NAHI) is a voluntary grant program administered by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka. The program is designed to provide financial resources to Native American tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) to support housing development and related capacity-building efforts within tribal communities. The program focuses specifically on serving federally recognized tribal members residing within the FHLBank Topeka district, which includes Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. By directing funds to organizations operating at the grassroots level, the program emphasizes locally informed solutions to housing challenges. The primary purpose of NAHI is to strengthen the ability of tribal organizations to address housing needs through a wide range of eligible activities. These activities include direct housing assistance such as down payment support, home repairs, rental assistance, and new construction or rehabilitation, as well as organizational capacity-building efforts like strategic planning, staff development, and improvements to financial systems. The program allows flexibility in how funds are used, enabling applicants to tailor proposals to their specific community needs while aligning with housing-related objectives. Funding for the 2026 NAHI round totals 4 million dollars, with individual awards ranging from a minimum request of 100,000 dollars up to a maximum of 500,000 dollars. Applicants may supplement grant funding with other financial resources, but there is no stated requirement for matching funds. The program does not specify a fixed number of awards, indicating that multiple grants will be distributed based on the availability of funds and the quality of applications received. Funds are distributed through a sponsoring FHLBank member financial institution, which must partner with the applicant throughout the application and award process. Eligibility for the program is limited to federally recognized tribes and tribally designated housing entities. These organizations must provide housing services to Native American populations within the specified four-state district. TDHEs may include tribal housing authorities, tribal government departments, or nonprofit organizations designated to serve tribal housing needs. Applicants must demonstrate their eligibility through documentation such as IRS determination letters, Bureau of Indian Affairs eligibility letters, or official tribal resolutions establishing the housing entity. The application process requires collaboration between the applicant and an FHLBank Topeka member institution. Both parties must complete and sign the application, which can be submitted electronically or via hard copy. Applicants must provide detailed narrative responses describing their organizational mission, current housing conditions, existing programs, unmet housing needs, proposed use of funds, geographic impact areas, expected outcomes, and project timelines. Supporting documentation confirming eligibility must be submitted separately via email. The 2026 application cycle opens on June 1, 2026, and closes on July 10, 2026. Applications must be submitted or postmarked by the closing date. Following submission, applications are evaluated using established criteria as reflected in the program’s reviewer form, though specific scoring metrics are not detailed in the provided materials. Award recipients receive funding through their sponsoring financial institution and are required to comply with reporting requirements, including submitting impact reports until funds are fully expended. The program is expected to operate on a recurring annual cycle, as evidenced by prior recipient listings and structured annual rounds. While exact award notification timelines and performance periods are not explicitly stated, applicants are expected to outline anticipated project start dates and implementation timelines within their proposals. For additional support, applicants may contact designated program representatives within the Housing and Community Development department at FHLBank Topeka via phone or email for technical assistance.

Clearly demonstrate how funds will build organizational capacity and address unmet housing needs provide detailed and specific community impact descriptions and align proposed uses with eligible activities