HUD allocated on April 3 $200 million in Indian Housing Block Grants (IHBG) to Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) across the nation to help Tribes respond to the coronavirus pandemic. This funding was included in the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act” signed by the president on March 27 (see Memo, 3/30). This bill also provided an additional $100 million for Native American housing programs that will likely be allocated based on need, unlike this initial $200 million that was based on a standard formula. TDHEs are not eligible for many of the other housing resources included in the CARES Act, so these funds are critical for helping Tribes protect the health and safety of their citizens and communities during the pandemic.
Native Americans living in tribal areas and remote Alaskan villages have some of the greatest housing needs in the U.S., with exceptionally high poverty rates, low incomes, overcrowding, lack of plumbing and heat, and unique development issues. These conditions put Native communities at extreme risk during the pandemic. The IHBG, the main source of housing assistance for Native American communities, primarily benefits low-income American Indian families.
Read the HUD press release, including a list of allocation amounts, at: https://tinyurl.com/rehsohv