Congress passed the Native American Housing Assistance and Self‐Determination Reauthorization Act of 2002 (NAHASDA) (U.S.C. 4195) and President George W. Bush signed it on November 14, 2002. Congress requested a study on black mold infestation of Native American housing as well as all types of mold problems in tribal housing. It was evident from preliminary research that black mold is a small part of a larger, more general mold issue which affects housing conditions, living environments, and the health of residents. The study included in its scope an effort to understand the root cause of mold, which is widely accepted to be moisture problems. While mold and moisture problems impacting human health is a concern in other types of building structures, the scope of this study was limited to addressing conditions in assisted housing on tribal lands. There was no data or reports that address the extent or incidence of mold problems in building structures nationwide to indicate whether tribal lands experienced a higher incidence of mold problems than the rest of the nation.Research on the extent of mold in tribal housing involved the following components:

• Housing unit and demographic data
• Data on reported mold problems
• Site visit information
• Cost estimates
• Literature review
• A report to the U.S. Senate