HUD AWARDS NEARLY $17 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AMERICA
North Dakota Turtle Mountain Band Of Chippewa Received $300,000

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today awarded $16.8 million in grants
to 56 rural communities in 23 states to stimulate economic development, create jobs and produce more affordable housing. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in Belcourt, North Dakota will receive a Grant award of $300,000.
The funding is provided through HUD's Rural Housing and Economic Development Program.

In addition to the HUD grants announced today, these rural communities are expected to generate more than $35 million from other public and private sources to further promote economic development and employment. For a brief description of all the projects receiving funding, visit HUD's website.

"Today we make another investment in our nation's heartland," said Jackson. "This funding will help stimulate
critically needed business development and that ultimately means jobs in these rural communities. These grants and the private investment they help to leverage will also produce more affordable housing opportunities for working families across this great country."

Rural Housing and Economic Development grants help pay for land acquisition, new home construction, housing demolition, infrastructure improvements and construction training. Other possible uses include homeownership and financial counseling; financial assistance to homeowners, businesses and developers; creating microenterprises and small business incubators; and, establishing lines of credit or revolving loan pools to benefit the local business community.

Rural communities will use this funding as seed money to pay the start-up costs for housing or economic
development projects. These grants will also help organizations to hire and train their staffs, develop strategic plans and acquire office space and other needed facilities.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and, supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development, and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet
and espanol.hud.gov. For more information about FHA products, please visit www.fha.gov.

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NORTH DAKOTA RHED AWARD:

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in Belcourt will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Innovative Support Grant award in the amount of $300,000. Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized Tribe. The funds will be used to award innovative housing and economic development activities through the Turtle Mountain Renewal Community Center through three specific activities: provide homeownership counseling which includes fair housing counseling, credit counseling, budgeting, access to credit, and other related services; establish
a Community Development Financial Institution to provide lines of credit, revolving loan funds, micro-enterprises,
and small business incubators. The proposed leveraging amount is $75,000.

Contact: Betty M. Hamley
P.O. Box 900, Belcourt, ND 58316-0900
Telephone Number: (701) 477-2607