BIA Housing Improvement Program for Tribal Home Repairs

Last updated: July 27, 2026

Bottom line: The Bureau of Indian Affairs Housing Improvement Program, called BIA HIP or the Housing Program, is a limited federal grant program for eligible members of federally recognized Tribes with low income, substandard housing, and no other housing resource. Start with the tribal office that administers HIP. Applications are ranked, and eligibility does not guarantee funding.

HIP may support safety repairs, renovation, modest replacement or new housing, or down-payment help. It is not general remodeling, direct cash, or a fast emergency fund.

As of July 27, 2026, the official program, application, and Form 6407 pages are active. A participating tribal or BIA servicing housing office sets local intake dates, ranks applications, and prepares the annual work plan.

If Your Home Is Unsafe Now

HIP may take many months for document review, ranking, annual funding, inspections, work planning, and contractors. BIA gives an example in which a March application reaches a December work plan and a decision may not be known until about May or June. This is only an example, not a promised schedule.

For an urgent but non-911 repair, call the tribal housing office and ask whether it has an emergency repair program, Category A HIP funds, Indian Community Development Block Grant funds, utility crisis help, weatherization, or a nonprofit partner. For exposed wiring, major structural damage, or another dangerous condition, use our hazard repair guide while you contact local officials.

What BIA HIP Can Pay For

The BIA Housing Program is a safety-net grant program for families with no other source for standard housing. Federal rules appear in 25 CFR Part 256.

The BIA category page describes five assistance paths. The regulation groups replacement and new housing under Category C, so you may see four categories or five service types.

Who May Qualify

The BIA rules require an applicant to meet all basic conditions. The local servicing office makes the final decision.

• Tribal membership: You must be a member of a federally recognized Tribe.
• Approved service area: You must live in a geographic area designated by a Tribe and approved by BIA for service.
• Income: Annual household income must be no more than 150% of the current HHS poverty guideline.
• Housing condition: Your current housing must be substandard, or you must be homeless for a housing category that fits.
• Ownership or land rights: You must meet the ownership, assignment, deed, or lease rules for the category requested.
• No other resource: HIP is meant for people who do not have another housing resource available.
• Prior assistance: You generally cannot have received Category B, C, or D help before. Category A has its own lifetime limit.
• Prior federal housing: You generally cannot have acquired the current home through a federally sponsored housing program during the previous 20 years.

An approved service area may differ from reservation boundaries. Use the servicing-office finder or Tribal Leaders Directory to find the office for your address. The directory number is 202-513-7641.

Renters generally cannot use HIP to repair a landlord’s home. The BIA renter guidance says a renter may still ask about Category D down-payment assistance. An owner of a mobile or manufactured home may qualify if all other rules are met. Our manufactured-home repair guide explains common title and land issues.

2026 HIP Income Limits

HIP uses 150% of the HHS poverty guidelines. The figures below multiply the official 2026 guidelines by 1.5. They are screening figures, not a final eligibility decision. The servicing office decides who is part of the permanent household and what income must be counted, including earnings, benefits, royalties, and some one-time income.

Being under the limit only makes you potentially eligible. Lower-income households receive more ranking points. A household between 126% and 150% can pass the income screen but receives zero income-ranking points under the federal table.

Where and How to Apply

HIP is not normally an application you send to a national grant portal. The BIA application instructions say to submit the signed form and supporting papers by mail or in person to the Tribal Servicing Office. There is no application fee.

Use our repair application guide for a simple tracking process.

Documents commonly required under the federal rule include:

• Tribal membership proof, such as a tribal enrollment card or Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood when accepted.
• Current tax returns, W-2s, and proof of Social Security, retirement, unemployment, royalties, and other household income.
• A notarized no-tax-return statement when required.
• An annual Individual Indian Money statement, or confirmation that no IIM account exists.
• A deed, trust ownership certification, certified tribal assignment, qualifying lease, or other accepted land paper.
• For down-payment help, home and sale details plus a lender letter showing needed down payment and closing costs.
• Repair photos, inspection notes, utility notices, or code notices when requested.

Our document checklist can help you organize copies before the deadline.

How Applications Are Ranked and Funded

HIP is not first come, first served in the ordinary sense. The servicing office scores eligible applications and prepares a list from highest need to lowest need. Federal ranking factors include:

• Income: Up to 25 points, with more points at lower incomes.
• Age: One point per year above age 54, up to 15 points.
• Disability: 10 points when a qualifying disabled person lives in the home.
• Dependent children: Three points each, up to 15 points.
• Other conditions: Five points each for veteran status, homelessness or dilapidated housing, and overcrowding.
• Approved financing: 25 points for an approved financing package.

If scores are tied, the household with lower income per person is listed first. The office then estimates project costs and works down the ranked list until available funding is used.

No nationwide fund guarantees service to every eligible family. Appropriations, regional allocation, tribal participation, project costs, contractors, climate, and infrastructure affect awards. Ask whether your Tribe submitted a work plan and whether your application is on it.

What Happens If You Are Approved

Approval is not permission to hire your own contractor and request reimbursement. The servicing office controls the HIP scope and procurement process.

A trained representative visits the property, identifies needed work, checks code, flood, environmental, utility, and other requirements, and develops a cost estimate. The office decides the category. If renovation is estimated above $60,000, it should recommend replacement or another standard-housing source.

The office prepares a written scope. You must approve the scheduled work before it starts. A licensed and bonded contractor, construction company, or authorized Tribe performs the work under program procurement and inspection rules. You should receive a completion notice and final walk-through.

Repayment, Ownership, and Special Home Rules

HIP is a grant program, but some categories have repayment conditions tied to selling the property. Read every agreement before accepting assistance.

• Category A: The federal rule does not set a sale repayment schedule for this interim repair category, but local documents still control how the work is administered.
• Category B: BIA’s current public category page describes full repayment if the home is sold within five years. The regulation says the signed Payback Agreement controls. Ask for the exact end date and remaining balance in writing.
• Category C: Selling within the first 10 years can require full repayment of the home’s cost. Beginning in year 11, the amount retained increases by 10% of the original cost each year. After 20 years, the federal rule says no repayment is due.
• Category D: The HIP contribution is a grant toward securing financing, but the mortgage is a separate loan that must be repaid according to lender terms.

Category C maximums are generally 1,000 square feet for up to four people, 1,200 for up to six, and 1,400 for seven or more. The office sets bedrooms from household composition and must address applicable accessibility needs.

Mobile homes can qualify. If Category B is requested and exterior walls are under three inches thick, the office must consider Category C. Special flood-hazard areas may require flood insurance.

Trust land, assignments, heirship, probate, and multi-owner property can delay a file. Ask which deed, lease, assignment, or ownership certification is accepted. Get tribal, BIA land-office, or legal-aid advice before transferring an interest or signing a quitclaim deed.

If You Are Denied, Delayed, or Not Funded

An incomplete application is different from an ineligible application, and both are different from an eligible application that did not receive money.

Ask for the exact reason in writing. If income, household size, disability, veteran status, ownership, or another fact is wrong, submit proof promptly. If a BIA official took an action or failed to act, 25 CFR Part 256 says you may appeal under 25 CFR Part 2. A tribal decision may follow a tribal process instead, so ask which appeal rule applies and what deadline controls.

Our denial guide explains how to organize the letter, deadline, missing proof, and backup applications.

Other Repair Help to Ask About

HIP is a last-resort program, but it may be combined with other resources. Ask whether programs can cover different parts of one project without paying the same cost twice.

For a broader search by repair type and location, use our national repair guide and rural repair guide.

Avoid Grant and Contractor Scams

There is no fee to apply for BIA HIP. Be cautious if someone promises approval, asks for a fee to “release” grant money, wants gift cards or cash, pressures you to sign today, or claims to be the only contractor approved by the federal government.

The FTC contractor guidance warns about door-to-door offers, leftover-material stories, full payment upfront, cash-only demands, pressure, and contractor-arranged financing. HIP procurement is handled by the servicing office. Do not privately hire a contractor and assume HIP will reimburse you.

Your Next Seven Steps

FAQs About BIA HIP