Why is there a lack of mortgage lending in Indian country?
Much of the land in Indian Country is held in trust by the United States government for the benefit of a particular tribe or individual Native American. Land held in trust for a tribe cannot be mortgaged, and land held in trust for an individual must receive approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), before a lien is placed on the property. Without the ability to mortgage and foreclose on a home or place a lien on individual trust property, lenders were not willing to make home loans to individual Native Americans.
