David Murray

dmurray@greatfallstribune.com

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday it has awarded $3.1 million to three Montana Indian tribes to improve reservation housing conditions for low- and moderate-income families and to stimulate community development.

Included in the award are the Blackfeet Tribe will receive $1.1 million to rehabilitate 29 housing units scattered across the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe which will receive $900,000 to rehabilitate 27 substandard scattered across the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, and Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes which will receive $755,000 to rehabilitate 20 homes on the Flathead Indian Reservation along with $345,000 to drill a new well for the Dixon Agency and connect it to 39 home sites.

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The awards are being made through HUD’s Indian Community Development Block Grant Program, which supports a wide range of community development and affordable housing activities. This year the ICDBG Program will distribute $55.5 million to 75 Native American communities across 21 states.

“The goal of the ICDBG program is to develop viable Indian and Alaska Native communities, including decent housing, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities,” said HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “Awardees can use the funding to rehabilitate or build new housing or to buy land for housing; for infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer facilities; and to spur economic development including jobs.”

Of the 75 tribal communities to receive ICDBG grants this year the smallest awards, totaling $75,000 a piece, went to two Alaskan villages to renovate their senior living centers. The largest single award went to the Navajo Nation in Arizona, which will receive $4.1 million to extend power and water lines to six communities lacking basic electrical and water services.

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A majority of the 75 awards ranged in size between $500,000 and $900,000.

“Every family deserves the chance to have a decent home, economic opportunity and vibrant neighborhoods to call their own,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “Today we make another critical investment in helping tribal nations address affordable housing and community development needs in their communities.”

The ICDBG program was established in 1977 to help Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages meet their community development needs. Federally recognized Indian tribes, bands, groups or nations (including Alaska Indian, Aleuts and Eskimos,) Alaska Native villages, and eligible tribal organizations compete for this funding.