On August 31, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced the FHLBank System at 100: Focusing on the Future initiative. The initiative looks to ensure that as the Federal Home Loan Bank System approaches its centennial, it continues to be well positioned to meet the needs of our members and the communities they serve.

FHFA held several regional roundtables to address housing finance, community and economic development, affordability, and other related issues including one on December 8th, 2022 in Washington, D.C. which was focused on FHLBank support for Native American communities, from the CDFI and nonprofit perspective.

NCN’s and Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA) Policy Chair Robin Danner testified with other national Native leaders during the two hour roundtable. FHLBanks are authorized to operate affordable housing programs that provide grants for a variety of housing progress through partnerships between a member bank and local nonprofits in the housing services arena.

“The Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations’ nonprofit Hawaiian Lending & Investments (HLI) is providing financial capital and services on or near our tribal lands in Hawaii,” Chair Danner said. “These opportunities to share our experiences are important — the Federal Home Loan Bank system can have greater impacts across every region in the country, it was a meaningful roundtable by the Federal Housing Finance Agency regulator.”

Read the full article from Indian Country Today here.