Sen. Martha McSally (R-Arizona)

Indianz.Com > COVID-19 > Sen. Martha McSally (R-Arizona)

Posted: September 30, 2020

Sen. Martha McSally (R-Arrizona). Photo: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

McSally Secures Protections for Tribes’ Affordable Housing Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2020

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) announced today that tribes will not lose future Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) funding as a result of the CARES Act funding they received.

Following a letter McSally sent last week to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Agency is exempting tribes from the disbursement requirement that would have reduced the amount of future IHBG funding that a tribe is eligible for. This change will ensure that CARES Act IHBG funding can be used for supplemental expenses related to COVID-19, and will not detrimentally impact regular IHBG grant amounts.

“Indian Housing Block Grants are vital for improving housing conditions on tribal reservations and reducing the spread of the coronavirus,” McSally said. “This requirement waiver by the Department of Housing and Urban Development is a huge win for tribal communities who can continue to receive this block grant funding regularly. The goal of the CARES Act was to provide needed relief during a crisis, not penalize recovering communities.”

Background:

On September 23, McSally sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson asking him to waive the disbursement requirement that would have reduced the amount of future IHBG funding that a tribe is eligible for.

Join the Conversation