HUD awards $46.7 million to NW tribes, Native Alaskans for COVID-19 response

SEATTLE -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson announced Friday the award of $46.7 million n additional HUD Indian Housing Block Grant funds to more than 250 Tribes and Native Alaskan Villages in the Northwest to help them respond to COVID-19.  

Friday's awards were part of a national announcement of the award of $200 million in IHBG funds to the nation's Federally recognized Tribes  and Tribally-designated housing entitles to respond to COVID-19. This funding will be used to help Tribes and TDHEs carry out affordable housing activities to protect the safety and health of their tribal members and communities. 

"When President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law, he wanted to ensure that American Indian Tribes received the assistance they needed to combat the coronavirus," said Secretary Ben Carson. "HUD remains committed to providing Tribes with the tools they need during this national emergency to continue to create safe, affordable housing opportunities for their communities."

Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing R. Hunter Kurtz added: "Working to make sure American Indian families get the resources they need during such an unprecedented time was important to President Trump. Today's funding helps HUD's mission to continue to assist some of our most vulnerable customers."

"COVID-19 has no respect for borders or boundaries," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Jeff McMorris, "and Tribal communities are as much at risk and facing the same challenges as any other communities.  Thanks to the prompt action of President Trump and the Congress, these additional IHBG funds from the CARES Act will prove critically important to helping them address both."

Indian Housing Block Grants primarily benefit low-income American Indian families. The amount of each grant is based on a formula that considers local needs and housing units under management by the Tribe or TDHE. Eligible activities for the funds include housing development, operation and maintenance, modernization of existing housing, housing services to eligible families and individuals, housing management services, crime prevention and safety activities, and model activities that provide creative approaches to solving affordable housing problems in Indian Country.

In addition to this much needed funding, yesterday, HUD announced that it began allocating $3.064 billion to help America's low-income families and cutting the red tape so grantees can quickly help their communities.

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