loansafe.org
(2/13/2013 6:33 PM, Evan Bedard)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that eight organizations will receive a total of $7.3 million in grants to improve housing conditions in Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities.

"These organizations have a proven track record of assisting tribal communities in their work to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing to members of these communities," said Donovan. "As HUD Secretary, I have seen firsthand how important our investment is in Indian Country and other Native lands to help them reach their housing and community development goals."

HUD Office of Native American Program (ONAP) Training and Technical Assistance grants were awarded to these organizations today:

These grantees will work directly with the 566 federally recognized Indian tribes and Native Alaskan villages who receive HUD Indian Housing Block Grants (IHBG) or Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants (NHHBG) to provide training and technical assistance related to their affordable housing plans. For example, the organizations can use the funding to conduct educational conferences for multiple tribes on specific topics such as "energy-efficient/sustainable construction," or to provide on-site, one-on-one consultation to tribes to resolve challenges that prevent them from creating sustainable, affordable housing for their members.

Funds from both programs are intended to primarily benefit low-income families living on Indian reservations or Alaskan and Hawaiian communities. The funding is used for a range of affordable housing activities, including: new construction, rehabilitation, acquisition, infrastructure, and various support services. Housing can be either rental or homeownership. NHHBG funds can also be used for certain types of community facilities if the facilities serve eligible residents of affordable housing.