Recovery funding will help American Indian Communities respond to COVID-19
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson today announced $200 million in Indian Housing Block Grants (IHBG) to American Indian Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) across the country 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. See chart here.
“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.”
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.