Two American Indian tribes based in Michigan have received nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and urgent housing needs.
The Manistee-based Little River Band of Ottawa Indians received $898,560 to build five new homes to alleviate overcrowding. The Dowagiac-based Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians received $900,000 for renovations and acquiring duplexes for families in quarantine.
“Today’s grant announcement will help families throughout Indian Country to access essential resources amid the coronavirus outbreak,” HUD Secretary Ben Carson said in a statement.
The funding is part of $25 million HUD issued today under its Indian Community Development Block Grand Imminent Threat Program. The department announced $15 million for tribes earlier this month, and both tranches are part of $100 million allocated for tribes under the federal CARES Act.
Across the U.S., the funding will help build new rental housing to address overcrowding and homelessness, traditional housing for quarantine and emergency operation centers to respond to COVID-19.
“From helping Tribes build more affordable housing to building a place where families can go to quarantine, this funding will help Native Americans persevere during this unprecedented time,” R. Hunter Kurtz, assistant secretary for public and Indian housing, said in a statement.
