VA Native American Direct Loan staff Casandra Kelting and Justin Stephenson recently traveled to the southernmost inlets of the Salish Sea in Washington to meet with seven bands of the Squaxin Island Tribe who, after signing an MOU, will now have access to the low-interest Native American Direct Loan Program (NADL) to buy, build or renovate a home on the federal trust lands of the tribe, thus making homeownership more affordable.
Known as the “People of the Water” for their close relationship with the sea and sea life, the Squaxin Island Tribe has more than 550 members, including many Veterans and service members.
After the signing ceremony, Kelting and Stephenson toured the tribal lands, where Vietnam Veteran and Squaxin Island Tribal member John Krise showed them the tribe’s Veteran memorial, which displays a paddle reaching out of the water to represent each Veteran who has served. “The tour was very informative, and it was apparent how much pride and admiration the tribe has for their members who have served our nation,” said Stephenson. “It was our pleasure to be able to inform them of the NADL program, which some of them will hopefully use to buy a home.”
Following the tour, Kelting and Stephenson attended the tribe’s annual emergency preparedness event, where they distributed NADL information, answered questions and engaged interested Veterans.
“As a Native American, I know what it means to these communities when VA is able to sign NADL MOUs and then open the door for Native American Veterans to buy, build and renovate homes,” said Kelting. “It is a win for the Veteran and the tribe, because housing deficits are alleviated when Veterans are able to secure a NADL to own a home. I’m truly honored to work for VA, where I can help my fellow Native Americans, like those in the Squaxin Tribe, become homeowners.”
Native American Veterans have a long and proud tradition of military service, and they continue to serve at higher rates than many other demographic groups today. Due to this, Congress passed Public Law 102-547 in 1992, which established the NADL program for Native Americans, who have historically had trouble accessing mortgages to buy homes on federal trust lands. In addition to Native Americans, Native Hawaiians and Alaska Natives, it also enables access for Pacific Islanders—which include American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Since the program’s inception, VA has signed 118 Memorandums of Understanding with tribal governments.
VA’s NADL team maintains a vigorous schedule to engage Native American communities throughout the United States and its territories at events like the Squaxin MOU signing to inform Native American Veterans of the benefit they have earned.
In addition to a NADL, Native American Veterans can also apply for a VA-guaranteed home loan for use on fee-simple properties (full and complete ownership of land outside federal trust lands). Those in the Native American community can learn more about the NADL program by visiting the NADL website or attending an informational session. Also, VA recently created a video to serve as a guide for tribes to understand the MOU process. The video can be accessed on the VA Loan Guaranty Training Website under ‘Available Training – Native American Direct Loans.’ VA is committed to working with tribal communities throughout the country to expand the NADL program.
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I have to agree with Felix. The picture is misleading because it looks like a home from an affluent neighborhood, certainly not one for military retirees/Veterans. Anyway, it’s about time there was some equity. Heck, I’m a white female Veteran and I can’t even get my own home and we’re not talking about land restrictions or the need for new public law. When we went through the Countrywide Mortgage Crisis of 2008, some families were helped to keep their homes but single females like me weren’t given any assistance. I had a VSO give me false information about doing a short sale. He never said the VA had to pre approve such a move or that it would cost me the rest of my benefits. So I’ve gone from struggling with rentals that have affected my health to homelessness during Covid when a corporate landlord extorted us for higher rent and additional fees we couldn’t afford or purchase the unit we were in which hadn’t had any maintenance or repairs done. I got in to the Domiciliary after a year because the VA kept jacking me around. One Social Worker was telling me what rest areas she thought were safe to sleep at when they had changed regulations to 2 hours stop overs only. Once I was in the Domiciliary the push was on to get me out of there because I retired under OPM post service and was supposedly rich off my annuity. What they didn’t understand was when OPM medically retires you before retirement age that your annuity is reduced and I wasn’t eligible for any Social Security benefits. Now I’m forced to go from one short term rental to another because they’re the only ones that come furnished. Housing assistance is literally nonexistent because I don’t meet criteria. I’m exhausted from trying, while my few personal items have been rotting in rental storage. Yet, I’m a success story because I no longer need the Domiciliary. But that’s just another way to alter the narrative to make things look positive.
Alright… now Felix really talking.
I gonna be honest because nobody else maybe say it straight up.
This blog… it read like it was written by committee. Like 10 people touched it and every sentence got sanded down until it mean nothing. “It was our pleasure.” “Vigorous schedule.” “Engaged interested Veterans.” What is that? That not storytelling. That not advocacy. That just safe government noise.
You easy could swap out “Squaxin Island” and drop in any other tribe like “Cherokee Tribe” and the article wouldn’t even change. That how generic it feel. Where is the struggle? Where is the truth? Where is the hard part?
And that picture… come on, for reals.
That house look like some brand-new contractor build in a fast-growing suburb. Big roofline, fresh plywood, mountain backdrop like real estate brochure. Who exactly that representing? Because it sure not representing the reality of housing on many reservations. We all know overcrowding is real. We all know infrastructure problems are real. We all know poverty rates in Indian Country are higher than national average. Why we acting like everybody just waiting to pick paint colors on their new luxury build?
It don’t sit right. It feel disconnected. It feel like somebody grabbed a stock image and said “close enough.” That not close enough. When you dealing with Native American Veterans, with federal trust land, with communities that been historically underfunded and overlooked — you don’t get to be sloppy with imagery. You don’t get to pretend everything already looks like middle-class suburbia.
And the language… so stiff. So sanitized. Nobody talks like that in real life. Nobody on tribal land says, “we maintain a vigorous schedule to engage communities.” That is conference-room language. That is performance language. That not heart language.
Where the numbers? Where housing deficit stats? Where explain how hard it to finance on trust land? Where the barriers? Where the acknowledge NADL exists because conventional lending fail these communities for more one decades?
You mention “Public Law 102-547” like it a footnote in PowerPoint. That law exists because Native Veterans were lock out. Don’t tiptoe around, say that. My Tribe amigos deserve more respect, don’t patronize.
And you talk about pride, that’s good. But pride don’t fix housing shortages. Pride don’t build infrastructure. Pride don’t fix overcrowding. This article is flat, it float on surface. It don’t dig deep, need deeper respect for sacred ground and the Tribe live there for generations..
I not problemo with staff who travel there, they do good job. I respect the work, but not the write. I respect them show up, but story is down, way bottom quality. If we gonna tell story, tell whole story. No polish it, until it shine and lose truth.
My Native Veterans amigos deserve more than brochure words, and a pretty house picture that don’t match the sacred ground reality. Mira, show me Tribal people in photo? No, not real. So it stupid stock foto.
We no can advocate serious if afraid to sound serious. Do better, please.