WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge today announced $450 million in Indian Housing Block Grants for tribes across the country, under the American Rescue Plan recently passed by Congress.
A HUD news release said the funding will be used to help tribes carry out affordable housing activities to protect the safety and health of their tribal members and communities,
Sitka Tribe of Alaska is listed as in line for $851,552 from the block grant program.
“With the enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, President Biden is making a clear statement that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring equitable access to communities hardest hit by the pandemic,” HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said in the news release.
“HUD understands the significance of our responsibility to serve American Indian and Alaska Native families, and the Department is dedicated to working in a government-to-government manner with tribes to quickly bring much-needed relief to tribal communities.”
Indian Housing Block Grants primarily benefit low-income American Indian and Alaska Native families, HUD said. The amount of each grant is based on a formula that considers local needs and housing units managed. 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.
