{"id":7664,"date":"2026-02-10T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7664"},"modified":"2026-02-10T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T14:30:00","slug":"native-american-direct-loans-expand-to-squaxin-island-tribe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7664","title":{"rendered":"Native American Direct Loans expand to Squaxin Island Tribe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2026-02-10T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> (NADL<\/a>) to buy, build or renovate a home on the federal trust lands of the tribe, thus making homeownership more affordable.<\/p>\n

Known as the \u201cPeople of the Water\u201d 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. <\/p>\n

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\u2019s Veteran memorial, which displays a paddle reaching out of the water to represent each Veteran who has served. \u201cThe tour was very informative, and it was apparent how much pride and admiration the tribe has for their members who have served our nation,\u201d said Stephenson. \u201cIt was our pleasure to be able to inform them of the NADL program, which some of them will hopefully use to buy a home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the tour, Kelting and Stephenson attended the tribe\u2019s annual emergency preparedness event, where they distributed NADL information, answered questions and engaged interested Veterans.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Native American, I know what it means to these communities when VA is able to sign NADL MOUs<\/a> and then open the door for Native American Veterans to buy, build and renovate homes,\u201d said Kelting. \u201cIt 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\u2019m truly honored to work for VA, where I can help my fellow Native Americans, like those in the Squaxin Tribe, become homeowners.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/a> 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\u2014which include American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Since the program\u2019s inception, VA has signed 118 Memorandums of Understanding<\/a> with tribal governments.<\/p>\n

VA\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

In addition to a NADL, Native American Veterans can also apply for a VA-guaranteed home loan<\/a> for use on fee-simple properties (full and complete ownership of land outside federal trust lands).\u00a0Those in the Native American community can learn more about the NADL program by visiting the NADL website<\/a> 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<\/a> under \u2018Available Training \u2013 Native American Direct Loans.\u2019\u00a0VA is committed to working with tribal communities throughout the country to expand the NADL program.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Squaxin Tribe’s MOU signing now allows members to have access to a low-interest NADL loan to buy, build, or renovate a home on the federal trust lands of the tribe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nNative American Direct Loans expand to Squaxin Island Tribe - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Squaxin Tribe's MOU signing now allows members to have access to a low-interest NADL loan to buy, build, or renovate a home on the federal trust lands of the tribe.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7664\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Native American Direct Loans expand to Squaxin Island Tribe - 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