The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced the awarding of more than $83 million in Indian Community Block Grant-American Rescue Plan (ICDBG-ARP) grants to 74 Tribal communities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the third round of ICDBG-ARP awards, underscoring the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to delivering equitable COVID-19 relief to Tribal communities.
A breakdown of the awards by recipient is available here.
These funds to Tribes will help protect the health and safety of their communities, particularly low- and moderate-income individuals and families, by expanding access to safe housing, a suitable living environment, and economic opportunities.
“It is imperative that we continue providing Tribal communities with resources needed to protect the health and safety of their communities,” said HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman. “With the funding HUD is awarding today, we remain diligent in continuing our mission to ensure that every person has the security of a healthy home and community. HUD will continue to strengthen partnerships with Tribal communities to ensure that all communities receive equitable relief.”
Today’s announcement follows HUD’s previous awards of $74 million in ICDBG-ARP grants to 68 Tribal communities in November and $52 million in ICDBG-ARP grants to 49 Tribal communities in December. The American Rescue Plan included a total of $280 million for the Indian Community Development Block Grant program; HUD will announce additional ICDBG-ARP awards on a rolling basis.
The Department and the Biden-Harris Administration have made delivering equitable COVID-19 relief to Tribal communities a priority. The American Rescue Plan Act provides a total of $750 million dollars in HUD resources to Indian Country to support the continued fight against COVID-19. In 2021, HUD made a historic $450 million investment in Indian Housing Block Grants (IHBG-ARP) to Indian tribes across the country to respond to COVID-19. The Department also invested $5 million in COVID-19 relief for Native Hawaiians.
HUD and the Biden-Harris Administration remain committed to meeting and prioritizing the needs of Native communities.