Native American Housing
The connection between health and the dwelling of the population is one of the most important that exists. Florence Nightingale
Many tribal communities have a traditional understanding of inter-dependent ties with the land, and it can be said that when the environment (dwelling) is ‘sick,’ the people may become sick.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Housing is a major contributor to health outcomes and a measure of health equity in America. Poor housing conditions lead to exposure to environmental ills which can have devastating effects on health, leading to high rates of disability and shortened life expectancies. Lead exposure, poor ventilation, unclean water, sanitation issues and overcrowding can cause lung disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other illnesses. In addition, mental health outcomes, unintentional injuries, substance abuse, violence and suicide have direct correlations to inadequate housing.
As a result of the attempts to remove, relocate, and reallocate land and resources by the U.S. federal government over centuries, many Native American tribes lives in third-world conditions on reservations in remote and isolated areas, leaving them disproportionately susceptible to a variety of health problems which can also lead to high rates of disability and shortened life spans.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Native Americans on tribal lands have some of the most dire housing needs in the United States. The National Congress of American Indians reports that substandard housing makes up 40% of on-reservation housing compared to just 6% of housing outside of Indian Country. In addition, almost one-third of homes are overcrowded—an alternative to homelessness, which is also pervasive in Indigenous communities. These disparities are shaped by social inequality, historical trauma, and discrimination.
