Heinrich, Luján Welcome Almost $5 Million In American Rescue Plan Funding To Support Tribal Housing Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) are welcoming almost $5 million in Indian Community Development Block Grants (ICDBG) to support Tribal housing projects in New Mexico. The funding, made possible by the American Rescue Plan, will be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Safe and affordable housing is absolutely essential to self-determination and Tribal sovereignty,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud that the American Rescue Plan continues to support Tribal housing projects in communities where families have lived for generations.”

“I’m proud to have voted for the American Rescue Plan, which provides funding for critical measures such as Tribal housing projects to help Tribal Nations address the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Luján. “These investments in affordable housing are a vital resource to ease financial burdens for families, while supporting economic growth in Native communities. Crucially, the American Rescue Plan has also made robust investments to bridge the digital divide, support the deployment of vaccines, invest in health care, and provide direct relief for Tribal governments so they can respond to and recovery from the pandemic.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding ICDBG funds to the following:

• $1,035,000 to Laguna Housing Development (Laguna) to construct three modular homes, which will help alleviate the housing shortage.
• $1,035,000 to Mescalero Apache Tribe (Mescalero) to support the construction of forty affordable rental housing units, which will help alleviate the housing shortage.
• $1,035,000 to Picuris Pueblo Indian Tribe (Penasco) to build six new homes, which will help alleviate the housing shortage. In addition, the Tribe will purchase a mobile unit, which will provide temporary shelter for families impacted by COVID-19.
• $1,035,000 to Pueblo de Cochiti Housing Authority (Cochiti Pueblo) to rehabilitate thirty-five homes, which will help alleviate the housing shortage and address overcrowding,
• $848,200 to Tamaya Housing Incorporated (Santa Ana Pueblo) to complete an infrastructure project, which includes septic systems, access to roads, and connecting power and gas lines to home site.

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