Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Receives $900,000 Grant to Construct Tiny Homes July 28. 2020

BARAGA, Mich. – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $20 million to Tribes across the nation as part of HUD’s Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Imminent Threat program, which provides funding to help address problems that pose an imminent threat to public health or safety of Tribal residents. This funding will specifically be used to help Tribes prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. This is the fourth tranche in addition to the first $15 million announced July 2 of $100 million that will be going to Tribes.

Funding included a $900,000 grant for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in Baraga, Mich., to construct two tiny homes that will alleviate overcrowding and provide temporary lodging for families to quarantine and rehabilitate home ventilation systems to help reduce the risk of COVID-19.
“Today’s grant announcement will help families throughout Indian Country to access essential resources amid the coronavirus outbreak,” said Secretary Carson.

“From helping Tribes build more affordable housing to building a place where families can go to quarantine, this funding will help Native Americans persevere during this unprecedented time,” said R. Hunter Kurtz, Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.

“Tribes are finding innovative strategies in the face of the pandemic to address the health and safety of their communities through these grants,” said HUD Midwest Regional Administrator, Joseph P. Galvan.

These funds, provided through the CARES Act, will be used to support several projects on Tribal lands across the United States, such as:

• The construction of new rental housing to address overcrowding and homelessness;
• The building of transitional housing for quarantined individuals and families that have tested positive for COVID-19;
• The construction of an emergency operation center to help respond to current and future COVID-19 issues; and
• The rehabilitation of an existing hotel for the isolation of Tribal members affected by COVID-19.