Seventeen native and tribal communities including the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe are receiving more than $10 million for affordable housing.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
Nevada tribal communities received word Friday they will receive funding for additional housing under the federal government’s COVID-19 relief act according to Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen.
In a press release, both senators said 17 native and tribal communities in Nevada will receive more than $10 million for the development of affordable housing projects. According to the senators, this funding is part of the American Rescue Plan, which represents the single largest one-time infusion of dedicated resources into Indian Country in U.S. history.
The Walker River Paiute Tribes will receive almost $1.5 million, and the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe is expected to receive almost $1 million. The Pyramid Lake Paiute and Washoe Tribe in Gardnerville will each receive more than $1 million. The Yerington Paiute Tribe and the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony will each receive amounts between $500,000 and $1 million.
The Duck Water Shoshone-Paiute Tribes at Owyhee, which is in northern Elko County at the Nevada-Idaho border, received the most funding, $1.46 million.
“This federal funding will support health care, housing, and economic recovery efforts across Indian Country, and I’ll make sure tribal governments and native communities in Nevada continue to get the help they need to flourish,” Cortez Masto said.
The measure passed Congress without Republican support and was signed by President Joe Biden on March 11.
“I’m proud to have supported this legislative package that includes the single largest infusion of dedicated resources into Indian Country in U.S. history – long overdue assistance - to ensure Native communities have the resources to develop, maintain, and operate safe and affordable housing,” Rosen added.
According to the senators, the Indian Housing Block Grants Program (IHBG) provides a range of affordable housing activities on Indian reservations and Indian areas. This included grants to tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHE) to carry out affordable housing activities in Tribal communities.
In their press release, the senators said according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ State of Homelessness: 2020, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders had the highest rates of homelessness when compared with other racial and ethnic groups. An average of 160 Native American and Pacific Islanders experience homelessness out of every 10,000 compared to the national average of 17 out of every 10,000.
