U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCES NEARLY $7 MILLION IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS FOR NATIVE ALASKAN COMMUNITIES

ANCHORAGE, AK - Seventeen Native Alaska communities will receive $6,787,990 in federal assistance to promote community development, Colleen Bickford, Alaska field office director, announced today. The funding is provided through HUD's Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program. (See a detailed list of recipients below).

"These grants do so much good for so many people," Bickford said. "This money helps Native American communities
do the critical work of stimulating business development, job growth and providing affordable housing."

The ICDBG program provides Native American and Native Alaskan communities with direct grants that offer economic opportunities, primarily for low- and moderate-income persons. Native American or Alaskan Native communities can use the funding to improve roads, water and sewer facilities and to build community buildings. These communities
can also use the funds to rehabilitate housing, purchase land for new home construction and, under certain circumstances, to construct new homes.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as
enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet.

###