The Pokagon Tribe of Potawatomi Indians will get a share of nearly $18-million being awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development to help their recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic. It marks their second round of such assistance in America.
HUD announced this week that they are awarding $17.8 million to Tribes across the nation as part of their 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. That funding will specifically be used to help Tribes prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. This is the fifth tranche in addition to the first $15 million announced July 2nd of $100 million that will be going to Tribes.
In Michigan’s Great Southwest, the Pokagon Tribe will get $900,000 of that money, along with three other Tribes getting nearly identical amounts. In July, they were one of the 12 federally recognized Native American Tribes across Michigan who got a collective $4.5-million piece of the first round of funding from HUD. The Pokagon Band was designated to receive $652,952 at that time.
Funding also included a $900,000 grant to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians to purchase and install power generators in several buildings that will be used to treat individuals impacted by COVID-19.
HUD Secretary Ben Carson says, “Today’s grant announcement will help families throughout Indian Country to access essential resources amid the coronavirus outbreak.”
R. Hunter Kurtz, Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, says, “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.”
HUD Midwest Regional Administrator, Joseph P. Galvan, adds, “Tribes are finding new strategies in the face of the pandemic to address the health and safety of their communities through these grants.”
Chairman David M. Arroyo says, “The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) is grateful for the funding support to assist our tribal nation during this COVID-19 pandemic medical emergency,”, and adds, “The GTB ICDBG-CARES Project will provide emergency power generators to tribal community centers in Benzie and Charlevoix counties, the Strongheart Civic Center in Peshawbestown, and a generator upgrade to the GTB Medicine Lodge building, and GTB will reuse and relocate the Medicine Lodge’s smaller existing generator to the GTB Fire Station. GTB will also replace HVAC air filters in those buildings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The addition of the backup generators at Benzie, Charlevoix, Strongheart Civic Center, and the Medicine Lodge will enable them to be designated as Red Cross Shelters with generator support. In total, five tribal buildings will receive needed back-up power to assist vulnerable populations for families and homeless persons in the preparation, prevention and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The 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…
- The rehabilitation of an existing hotel for the isolation of Tribal members affected by COVID-19…
The Michigan Tribes and the money they will get are shown in the table below:
|
