HUD AWARDS SAINT REGIS BAND STATE TRIBAL COMMUNITIES $600,000 TO IMPROVE HOUSING AND SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Funding part of $33 million awarded nationally to Indian Country

NEW YORK - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $600,000 to the Saint Regis Mohawk tribe in northeastern New York for the construction of a brand new health care facility. The monies were provided through HUD's Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program to support a wide variety of community development and affordable housing activities. The funding to New York is part of $33 million awarded nationwide.

"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 Regional Administrator Adolfo Carrión. "This is an investment to promote neighborhood development, produce affordable housing, and help create much-needed jobs."

The grant to Saint Regis Mohawk will be used to build a 15,500 square foot state- of-the-art facility known as the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Diabetes Center of Excellence. The new facility will provide a wellness center for tribal members who are diabetic or at various stages of risk to become diabetic. This fully accessible, educational setting will target the prevention of diabetes and diabetic complications such as amputations, blindness, kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.  The construction of the this facility will also enable the tribes current health system to expand existing services and programming to more efficiently meet the health and wellness needs of current and future generations of the Saint Regis Mohawk tribe.

"With resilience and commitment, the community of Akwesasne continues the charge against diabetes in their families and future generations. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Diabetes Center of Excellence will be the conduit to strengthen self-management of diabetes and to provide greater opportunities for lifestyle modifications in fitness, nutrition, weight management and many other diabetes prevention strategies. The diabetes programs of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe are extremely excited for all the effort and support that brings us closer to the opening of this facility," said Janine Rourke, RN, CDE - Department Head: Tsitewatakari:tat-Let's Get Healthy Program.

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 can 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 be 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.

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