Brady PieperNative American tribes around California will secure more than $91 million in grants to address the growing threat of housing insecurity and homelessness in their communities.
The California Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) is funding two grant programs that provide stable housing opportunities for tribal communities – the Tribal Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program and a first-ever tribal investment from the state’s successful Homekey initiative.
The two programs will fund construction projects to rapidly deploy housing structures in tribal communities experiencing high rates of homelessness. That includes single-family homes, supportive housing for extremely low-income individuals and housing for seniors. The tribal communities can also access funds for homelessness prevention and intervention strategies to mitigate historic homelessness.
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The first grant allocations from the Tribal Homekey Program, much like the older, state and non-state entity-oriented sister program, will allocate nearly $71 million to build housing for vulnerable populations.
This program, which was created in partnership with California tribes, will utilize the state funding to construct 172 new permanent, affordable rental housing units in Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Fresno, Humboldt, Lake, Los Angeles, Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
Among the highest-awarded Tribal Homekey grant recipient are:
- Dry Creek Rancheria, Sonoma county – $12 million for the Bi-du Khaale project. The project will fund 25 permanent rental homes aiming to reduce homelessness for seniors and their families.
- Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and etc, Los Angeles county – $12 million for the FTBMI San Fernando initiative, supporting 26 affordable homes for seniors.
- Round Valley Indian Housing Authority, Mendocino county – $8.7 million for fifth phase of the Tribal Winds initiative. The funding will support 18 permanent, supportive rental housing units for low-income individuals.
- Colusa Indian Community Council, Colusa county – $8.3 million to construct the CICCs Old Res Housing Complex with 21 rental housing units for people experiencing or at risk for homelessness.
Grantees must expend capital funds by June, eight months following the date of the award. The Homekey Tribal program will continue to announce awards selections contiguous until the program’s funds are expended.
The HCD will also allocate $20 million in flexible funding to local tribes under the HHAP program’s third grant announcement. Informed by consultations with sovereign tribal nations, HCD will continue to work with tribes to manage the over $120 million in funding requests.
Through the HHAP program, HCD will deliver grants up to $750,000 for 37 federally recognized tribes to implement homelessness prevention and intervention strategies in vulnerable communities.
Together, the two funding programs will fund hundreds of housing developments and reduce tribal homelessness across California. Fostering a collaborative future with tribal nations, the state anticipates these grants will create more stable, long-term solutions in places that have historically faced housing challenges.
Photo by Ron Lach
