March 11, 2022

HUD: Nearly $70 Million Announced to Deliver Equitable COVID-19 Relief to 49 Tribal Communities

Today’s Announcement Brings Total ICDBG-ARP Awards to Nearly $280 Million Across 240 Tribes 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced the award of nearly $70 million in Indian Community Development Block Grant-American Rescue Plan (ICDBG-ARP) grants to 49 Tribal communities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This fourth round of ICDBG-ARP awards underscores HUD and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to delivering equitable relief to Tribal communities.

A breakdown of the awards by recipients is available here.

“With these new grants, HUD continues to deliver equitable relief to Tribal communities,” said HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman. “Tribes have experienced years of underinvestment and face significant backlogs of unmet needs, and these funds show what is possible when Tribes are provided with additional resources. HUD and the Biden-Harris Administration remain committed to strengthening relations with Tribal nations to ensure that all communities are securing the opportunity of a healthy home and community.”

These ICDBG-ARP funds will help Tribes protect the health and safety of their communities. These funds especially benefit low- and moderate-income individuals and families and aim to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through funding eligible activities such as housing construction and rehabilitation, and water infrastructure.

HUD staff announced the ICDBG-ARP round 4 awards during a press briefing on the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan.

With today’s awards, HUD has now awarded nearly $280 million in ICDBG-ARP grants across 240 Tribes. Today’s announcement follows HUD’s previous awards of $83 million in ICDBG-ARP grants to 74 Tribal communities in January 2022, $52 million in ICDBG-ARP grants to 49 Tribal communities in December 2021, and $74 million in ICDBG-ARP grants to 68 Tribal communities in November 2021. The American Rescue Plan included a total of $280 million for the Indian Community Block Grant program.

HUD and the Biden-Harris Administration have prioritized delivering equitable COVID-19 relief to Tribal communities. The American Rescue Plan Act equipped $750 million in HUD resources to Indian County to support the continuing relief towards the impacts of 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 the pandemic. The Department also invested $5 million in COVID-19 relief for Native Hawaiians.

These awards, along with future grants and opportunities, underscore HUD and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to meeting and prioritizing the needs of Native communities.

This post was originally published here.