8/10/20 OKLAHOMA CITY – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $17,826,319 million to Tribes across the Nation as part of HUD’s Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Imminent Threat program, which provides funding to help address problems that pose an imminent threat to public health or safety of Tribal residents. This funding will specifically be used to help Tribes prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. Four tribes in Oklahoma will share $2,885,985. For a full list of grant recipients in Oklahoma, see chart below.
“Today’s grant announcement will help families throughout Indian Country to access essential resources amid the coronavirus outbreak,” said Secretary Carson.
“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,” said R. Hunter Kurtz, Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
These funds, provided through the CARES Act, will be used to support several projects on Tribal lands across the United States, such as:
- The construction of new rental housing to address overcrowding and homelessness;
- The building of transitional housing for quarantined individuals and families that have tested positive for COVID-19;
- The construction of an emergency operation center to help respond to current and future COVID-19 issues; and
- The rehabilitation of an existing hotel for the isolation of Tribal members affected by COVID-19.
See below for a breakdown of Native American communities receiving funding under the program:
| Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma | Wyandotte | $900,000 | The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma will use their grant to purchase two (2) tiny houses, which will help alleviate the housing shortage and reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. In addition, the grant will be used to remodel two existing buildings, which will be used as a food distribution center. The grant will also be used to provide rental and utility assistance to families who are facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. |
| Otoe-Missouria Tribe | Red Rock | $386,325 | The Otoe-Missouria Tribe will use their grant to construct a building, which will serve as a COVID-19 response center. In addition, the grant will be used to purchase medical supplies (e.g., testing kits and thermometers). |
| Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma | Miami | $900,000 | The Ottawa Tribe will use their grant to provide rental, medical, food, and utility assistance to families impacted by COVID-19. |
| Quapaw Tribe | Quapaw | $699,660 | The Quapaw Tribe will use their grant to purchase three (3) ambulances, which will be used to provide medical treatment to those affected by COVID-19. |
| State Total | $2,885,985 |