07.17.20

Cantwell Announces Nearly $5.7 Million in COVID-19 Response Grants for Washington State Tribes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that five Washington state Tribes will receive $5,694,484 in federal COVID-19 response grants. The money will provide funding to meet critical Tribal needs including new housing, rental assistance, and emergency food bank operations. The grants come from Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Imminent Threat funding provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The funding is distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is being distributed to the Lummi Nation Housing Authority, Muckleshoot Housing Authority, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Squaxin Island Tribe, and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington.

  • The Lummi Nation Housing Authority will receive $1,494,909 to construct 14 new housing units, which will help alleviate overcrowding and provide temporary lodging for families to quarantine.
  • The Muckleshoot Housing Authority will receive $899,578 to construct three new housing units, which will help alleviate overcrowding.
  • The Nisqually Indian Tribe will receive $900,000 to construct an emergency response center and purchase a modular unit which will be used as a domestic violence prevention center.
  • The Squaxin Island Tribe will receive $899,997 to construct 15 tiny homes, which will provide temporary lodging for families to quarantine, and to provide utility assistance to families who are facing financial hardship.
  • The Tulalip Tribes of Washington will receive $1,500,000 to provide rental and utility assistance to families who are facing financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Under the ICDBG program, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides grants to Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages for community development projects. Senator Cantwell, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, has been a champion of the ICDBG grant program throughout her time in the Senate, as well as other HUD programs that support affordable housing in Tribal communities.

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