Recognizing Indigenous history means recognizing the importance of home, land, and housing opportunities.
Every October, Indigenous Peoples’ Day provides an opportunity to honor Indigenous peoples, their histories, cultures, communities, and continuing contributions. It is also an opportunity to reflect on issues that affect Indigenous communities today, including access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.
At Key Property Management, we believe understanding the housing market means looking beyond rental prices and home sales. It also means recognizing the different circumstances people face when trying to find a home, build financial stability, or maintain a connection to their communities.
This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we are exploring what national housing statistics tell us about Native American homeownership and renting, why access to housing can be complicated, and how the housing industry can contribute to more equitable communities.
How Many Native American Households Own Their Homes or Rent?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, approximately 55.5% of occupied households whose householder identified as American Indian or Alaska Native alone were owner-occupied, while approximately 44.5% were renter-occupied (U.S. Census Bureau, “Tenure”).
That means nearly 1 in 2 households in this Census category rented their homes.
For comparison, approximately 65.3% of all occupied U.S. households were owner-occupied in 2024. This indicates a gap of nearly 10 percentage points between the homeownership rates for American Indian and Alaska Native householders identifying as one race alone and the national household average (U.S. Census Bureau, “Tenure”).
What Do These Numbers Tell Us?
Homeownership can offer long-term stability, an opportunity to build equity, and the ability to pass property or financial assets to future generations. Renting, meanwhile, provides an important housing option for people who are not ready to purchase a home, prefer flexibility, or cannot access homeownership.
The percentage of households that rent does not, by itself, tell us whether those households are satisfied with their housing or whether they can afford their monthly expenses. It does, however, help illustrate the importance of making rental housing safe, accessible, and affordable.
An important note about the data: These percentages describe households based on the race of the householder, not the percentage of individual Indigenous people who own or rent their homes. The figures above use the Census Bureau’s category for householders identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native alone. They do not capture every person who identifies as Indigenous, including people who identify with multiple races. Indigenous peoples also include many distinct Tribal Nations and communities whose circumstances vary considerably.
Why Is Homeownership Access More Complicated for Some Indigenous Communities?
Homeownership is often described as a straightforward financial goal: save for a down payment, qualify for a mortgage, and purchase a property. In reality, the process can be more complicated, particularly in some Tribal communities.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has identified several barriers affecting housing access in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including inadequate housing supply, overcrowding, infrastructure challenges, and obstacles to mortgage lending on Tribal lands.
1. Land Ownership and Mortgage Lending
Land ownership and jurisdiction can affect how housing is financed in certain Tribal areas.
Some reservation lands are held in trust by the federal government for Tribal Nations or individual beneficiaries. Because trust land generally cannot be treated in the same way as privately owned land for conventional mortgage collateral, lenders may face additional legal and administrative requirements.
These circumstances can make obtaining a mortgage more complicated than purchasing a home on privately owned land. Special lending programs, including HUD’s Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program, are designed to help eligible borrowers access financing.
These arrangements vary by location and property type. It is important not to assume that all Indigenous people live on Tribal lands or face the same lending restrictions (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Mortgage Lending on Tribal Land”).
2. Housing Supply and Overcrowding
Access to an adequate supply of housing is another important issue.
HUD’s assessment of housing needs found that overcrowding and physical housing deficiencies were significant concerns in many Tribal areas. Its research also highlighted the importance of considering extended-family living arrangements and the ways housing availability affects families.
Living with extended family can be a meaningful cultural or personal choice. It should not automatically be interpreted as a housing problem. The concern arises when families do not have enough suitable space, lack essential facilities, or cannot find housing that meets their needs.
Building more housing can help, but the homes must also be affordable, appropriately located, and developed in ways that respect Tribal priorities and community needs (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas).
3. Housing Challenges in Urban Communities
Indigenous housing issues are not limited to reservations or rural areas.
Many American Indian and Alaska Native people live in cities and metropolitan areas. Urban residents may face high rental prices, limited affordable housing options, difficulties accessing specialized assistance, or challenges navigating services that are unfamiliar or insufficiently responsive to their circumstances.
HUD’s research on urban American Indian and Alaska Native housing needs emphasizes that housing challenges differ between urban and Tribal areas. A single national statistic cannot fully explain the experiences of Indigenous renters and homeowners in every community (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Urban Areas).
For cities with high housing costs, including San Diego, this is a reminder that access to housing must be understood in the context of the local market as well as the needs of individual households.
Why Renting Matters in the Conversation About Housing Equity
Homeownership is an important goal for many people, but renters are an equally important part of the housing conversation.
A healthy rental market should offer more than a place to sleep. Residents need safe housing, clear communication, fair treatment, and a reasonable process for addressing maintenance concerns.
For Indigenous renters, as for all renters, access to housing should not be limited by discrimination or unfair treatment.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on protected characteristics, including race and national origin. Housing providers should apply rental criteria consistently, communicate requirements clearly, and make decisions based on lawful, objective standards.
For property managers, these principles are practical responsibilities—not simply statements of goodwill.
A fair rental process includes:
- Applying written screening criteria consistently.
- Communicating rental requirements and fees clearly.
- Responding to maintenance concerns appropriately.
- Respecting residents’ privacy and legal rights.
- Avoiding assumptions about an applicant based on their identity or background.
- Treating every applicant and resident with dignity.
A person’s cultural background should never be used as a substitute for evaluating their individual circumstances.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day: More Than a Celebration of History
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity to recognize Indigenous peoples as living, diverse communities with continuing histories, cultures, and contributions.
Housing is one part of that broader conversation because a home can represent security, family connection, economic opportunity, and a place within a community.
For some Indigenous communities, the relationship between land, housing, and identity also carries historical and cultural significance that cannot be fully represented by homeownership percentages alone.
Recognizing these connections does not mean assuming that every Indigenous person has the same priorities or experiences. Instead, it means making space for Indigenous perspectives and recognizing the importance of Tribal sovereignty and community-led decisions.
Meaningful progress requires listening to the communities affected, understanding local housing needs, and supporting solutions that respect their priorities.
What Can the Housing Industry Do?
Property managers, landlords, real estate professionals, policymakers, and community organizations all have roles to play in improving access to housing.
While no single company can resolve the structural barriers that affect housing affordability, individual practices still matter.
Housing professionals can work toward more equitable outcomes by:
- Promoting fair housing practices. Ensure applicants are evaluated using consistent, lawful criteria.
- Improving transparency. Clearly explain rental costs, lease terms, screening requirements, and tenant responsibilities.
- Supporting housing stability. Respond to maintenance concerns and communicate with residents respectfully.
- Learning about local communities. Understand that housing needs differ across neighborhoods, Tribal Nations, and individual households.
- Supporting community-led solutions. Recognize the importance of Tribal leadership and Indigenous voices in conversations about housing, land, and development.
These steps are relevant throughout the year, not only during heritage and recognition months.
A Final Reflection: Everyone Deserves Access to a Safe Home
The latest Census figures show that American Indian and Alaska Native householders identifying as one race alone have a lower homeownership rate than the national household average, while a substantial share of these households rent.
Those numbers are an important starting point, but they are not the whole story. Housing conditions, land tenure, lending access, affordability, geography, and individual circumstances all influence whether people can find and maintain a suitable home.
This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize Indigenous histories and contributions while acknowledging the continuing importance of housing access, stability, and fairness.
At Key Property Management, we believe respectful housing practices begin with understanding, transparency, and treating people fairly. A stronger housing community is one in which people have the opportunity to find a safe place to live and are treated with dignity throughout the process.
Housing is more than a market. It is part of how people build stability, maintain connections, and shape their futures.
Works Cited
U.S. Census Bureau. “Tenure (American Indian and Alaska Native Alone Householder).” 2024 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, Detailed Tables, table B25003C, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2024. data.census.gov, Census Bureau Housing Tenure Data.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs. HUD User, 2017, HUD Tribal Areas Housing Needs Report.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Urban Areas: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs. HUD User, 2017, HUD Urban Areas Housing Needs Report.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Mortgage Lending on Tribal Land.” Assessment of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs, HUD User, HUD Assessment and Mortgage Lending Resources.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Fair Housing.” HUD.gov, HUD Fair Housing Information.
