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- By Brian Edwards
- Real Estate
President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation this week aimed at speeding up mortgage approvals for homes and businesses on tribal trust land, a longstanding barrier to homeownership and private lending in Indian Country.
The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act, sponsored by Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., along with Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., establishes statutory timelines for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to process mortgage-related documents involving trust land.
Supporters of the bill said delays at the BIA have slowed housing development and discouraged lenders from participating in tribal mortgage markets. Sen. Rounds said mortgage approvals that are supposed to take 30 days have in some cases stretched beyond a year.
“For years, affordable housing opportunities on tribal trust land have been hard to come by in South Dakota and across the nation due in part to the BIA’s challenging mortgage approval process,” Thune said in a statement.
The legislation also creates a realty ombudsman within the BIA to improve communication with tribes, tribal members and lenders. It further expands the ability of federal agencies to administer tribal housing programs.
Housing advocates and tribal housing leaders said the measure could improve access to mortgage financing in tribal communities, where trust land ownership structures and federal approval requirements have historically complicated lending and homeownership.
“At the National American Indian Housing Council, we deeply appreciate the growing attention and commitment from Congress to tackle the housing challenges facing tribal nations,” NAIHC Executive Director Rudy Soto said in a statement. “By removing unnecessary bureaucratic delays, this bill helps unlock opportunities for Native families.”
The bill, which was co-sponsored by Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and several Democratic House members, passed the Senate in December 2025 and cleared the House in March.
