The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allocated nearly $200 million in grant awards to 52 Native American tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) for new housing construction, housing rehabilitation and critical infrastructure projects.
HUD announced the grants during the 2019 National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) Legal Symposium in Las Vegas.
“HUD is excited for this new opportunity to better serve Native American communities through our government-to-government relationship with the Tribes,” HUD Secretary Ben Carson said in a news release. “I look forward to seeing the new housing units and renovations the Tribes will complete with this much needed investment in affordable housing.”
The grants will be awarded through HUD’s Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program to help construct 1,200 new housing units for low-income families living on Indian reservations or in other Indian areas, and spur economic opportunities in distressed communities to help the neediest families. HUD’s tribal partners have agreed to leverage an estimated $90 million dollars in additional resources.
“HUD is committed to working collaboratively to address housing needs with our Native American partners,” HUD Assistant Secretary Hunter Kurtz said in the release. “The IHBG program is a wonderful example of how HUD continues to invest in tribal communities.”
Many of the grantees are located in Opportunity Zones, which aim to stimulate long-term investments in low-income communities.
HUD received almost 200 applications from eligible Native American tribes and TDHEs.
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