HUD AWARDS $6.3 MILLION TO 12 TRIBES & NATIVE VILLAGES IN ALASKA FOR HOUSING, COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development competitively awarded a total of $6,334,562 in Indian Community Development Block Grants to three tribes and nine native villages in Alaska to promote community and economic development.

The awards were among 50 competitive grants to tribes and Alaska native villages totaling $33,637,343 announced
by HUD today. Established in 1977, the ICDBG program supports a wide variety of community development and affordable housing activities. Federally recognized Indian tribes, bands, groups or nations (including Alaska Indian, Aleuts and Eskimo) or Alaska Native villages compete for this funding.

"This funding helps our country's Native American and Alaska Native communities improve the living conditions for hard-working families who need the most help," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "This is an investment to
promote neighborhood development, produce affordable housing, and help create much-needed jobs."

"This funding is as critical to meeting the needs of these communities as they would be in a large, urban center" said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Mary McBride. "We look forward to working with these organizations as they move forward to meet the unique challenges and circumstances they face."

This year's ICDBG winners in Alaska were:

• The Cheesh-Na Tribe won $600,000 construct the Chistochina Clinic and Multi-Use Facility;
  
  
• The Curyung Tribal Council won $600,000 to construct four single family homes;
  
  
• The Sitka Tribe of Alaska won $600,000 to develop a maintenance facility for the Baranof Island Housing Authority;
  
  
• The Pribilof Island Aleut Community of St. Paul won $600,000 that it will use for housing rehabilitation and to upgrade its water system;
  
  
• The Native Villages of Knik won $247,062 to acquire and rehabilitate a 4-plex;
  
  
• The Native Village of Cantwell won $600,000 to construct a triplex;
  
  
• The Native Village of Deering won $600,000 to provide weatherization assistance to approximately 20 existing homes;
  
  
• The Native Village of Kobuk won $600,000 to provide weatherization assistance to approximately 10 existing homes;
  
  
• The Native Village of Nelson Lagoon won $187,500 for housing rehabilitation;
  
  
• The Native Village of Selawik won $600,000 to extend water and sewer service;
  
  
• The Native Village of Shungnak won $600,000 to construct five single family homes;
  
  
• The Native Village of Tazlina won $600,000 to construct a tri-plex.

The ICDBG program was established in 1977 to help Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages to meet their community development needs. Federally recognized Indian tribes, bands, groups or nations (including Alaska Indian, Aleutes and Eskimos) or Alaska Native villages compete for this funding.

The recipients will use the funding to develop viable communities, including rehabilitating housing or building new housing or to buy land to support new housing construction. The funding can also used to build infrastructure such
as roads, water and sewer facilities, to create suitable living environments. To spur economic development,
recipients use the grants to establish a wide variety of commercial, industrial and agricultural projects. Recipients have used the funding to build community and health centers, or to start businesses to support the community, such as shopping centers, manufacturing plants, restaurants or convenient stores/gas stations.

###

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on Twitter at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.