TWELVE ALASKAN NATIVE VILLAGES & TRIBES WIN ALMOST $6 MILLION IN HUD INDIAN COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANT FUNDS
Agdaagux Tribe, Arctic Village, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Ekwok Village, Mentasta Traditional Council, Village of Buckland, Village of Chitina, Village of Kiana, Village of Kasaan, Pauloff Harbor Village, Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska & Village of Venetie will use funds to meet housing & community development priorities

ANCHORAGE - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today competitively awarded a total of $5,974,246 to 12 Alaskan tribes and native villagesunder HUD's Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program that provides resources to help tribes and native villages meet their affordable housing, community and economic development needs.

The 12 Alaska native villages and tribes winning ICDBG funds plan to use them to expand or replace their affordable housing stock, reduce overcrowding and build essential community facilities.

"These grants are a step forward in forging solutions to improve the housing and economic conditions for some of our country's most culturally rich neighborhoods," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "I'm impressed at the energy and creativity in how these communities are leveraging public funds to create lasting solutions for countless families."

"The hallmark of our ICDBG program is a flexibility that allows communities to decide how, with Federal funds, they can most quickly and effectively meet their most urgent needs," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Mary McBride. "These bricks-and-mortar funds help these organizations realize their visions of stronger, more prosperous communities."

The activities to be funded by today's ICDBG awards to Alaska organizations include:

• The Agdaagux Tribe of King Cove will uses its $28,175 to replace meter boxes in up to 60 single family housing units and concurrently with other state weatherization projects being proposed in King Cove. Funds from the ICDBG program will be leveraged with $9,456 in other funding resources provided by the tribe, for a total project cost of $37,631.

• Arctic Village will use its grant of $530,000 to build two single-family homes and will leverage ICDBG funds with $180,000 of Indian Housing Block Grant funds for a total project cost of $710,000.

• The Cook Inlet Tribal Council located will use its $600,000 grant to construct a 20,000 square foot group home for low, 20 male and 20 female, ages 14-18 to be located in close proximity to Bartlett High School and the Alaska Native Heritage Center in order tol reduce homelessness among Native Alaskan youth in Anchorage. ICDBG funds will be leveraged with $6,000,000 in other State of Alaska funding to construct the facility.

• The Mentasta Traditional Council will use its grant of $600,000 construct a 1,000 square-foot health clinic for the residents of the community. Funds from the ICDBG program will be leveraged with other funding, for a total project cost of $800,000.

• The Native Village of Buckland will use its $600,000 grant to construct five single-family homes for low-and moderate-income families and will help reduce severe overcrowding in the community. ICDBG funds will be leveraged with $1,500,000 from the Northwest Inupiat Housing Authority, for a total project cost of $2,100,000.

• The Native Village of Chitina will use its $500,910 grant to construct three 3-bedroom single family houses. The projects will provide safe, decent, affordable housing for 3 families (11 tribal members). The project also provides on-going construction training through a partnership with Alaska Works, for five positions associated with the project. Funds from the ICDBG program will be leveraged with $150,000 in Indian Housing Block Grant funds and $270,218 from the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and other funds, for a total project cost of $1,020,218.

• The Native Village of Ekwok will use its grant of $600,000 to construct six single family homes for low-and moderate-income families and will bring complete water, sewage and kitchen facilities to the families. ICDBG funds will be leveraged with $1,848,000 being provided by the Bristol Bay Housing Authority and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, for a total project cost of $2,448,000.

• The Native Village of Kiana will use its grant of $600,000 to rehabilitate 25 substandard homes that will include weatherization and the construction of added living space to reduce overcrowding. ICDBG funds will be leveraged with $200,000 in other funding being provided by the Northwest Inupiat Housing Authority, for a total project cost of $800,000.

• The Organized Village of Kasaan will use its $599,457 grant to renovate a 3,550 square foot building to be used as a multi-use facility in the community. that will prove a much needed place to hold cultural celebrations, workshops, trainings and most importantly a place where families can gather for community events and other healthy social activities. ICDBG funds will be leveraged with $110,869 in other funding resources provided by the tribe, for a total project cost of $710,326.

• The Pauloff Harbor Village will use its grant of $356,218 to construct a single family home for a low-and moderate-income family utilizing a prototype housing design resulting in a high performance, healthy, low maintenance, affordable home which will be replicated in other Aleutian regional communities. Funds from the ICDBG program will be leveraged with $137,125 in Aleutian Housing Authority and other tribal funds, for a total project cost of $493,343.

• The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska will use its $419,487 grant for two projects: construction of one low-income, 2-bedroom single-family home; and demolition of an existing dilapidated home which will be replaced by another acquired home, rehabilitated and offered to one low-income family. ICDBG funds will be leveraged with Indian Housing Block Grant and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation for a total leverage of $220,000, for a total cost of $639,487

• The Village of Venetie will use its $540,000 grant for construction of two single-family homes. ICDBG funds will be leveraged with $180,000 of Indian Housing Block Grant funds for a total project cost of $720,000

The funds awarded are part of $56,224,534 HUD announced today to 76 tribal and native communities throughout the nation. The recipients will use these grants to develop viable communities including rehabilitating housing or building new homes or to purchase land to support new housing construction, to build infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer facilities, to build community and health centers or to start businesses to support the community including shopping centers, manufacturing plants, restaurants or convenient stores and gas stations.

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

###

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on Twitter at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD. or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.