BUSH ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES $2.2 MILLION IN INDIAN HOUSING BLOCK GRANTS
Housing Authority and Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Will Benefit

SEATTLE - The Southern Puget Sound Inter-Tribal Housing Authority in Shelton and Upper Skagit Indian Tribe in Skagit County will receive over $2.2 million in federal assistance to promote affordable housing, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced.

"These grants do so much good for so many people," Jackson said. "This money helps Native American communities
do the critical work of providing affordable housing and helping our most vulnerable neighbors."

The Southern Puget Sound Inter-Tribal Housing Authority will receive $851,285 and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe
will receive $1,369,611.

The funding falls under HUD's Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) Program, which provides tribes or tribally
designated housing entities (TDHEs) with funds for a full range of affordable housing programs, including housing development; modernization; management services and operating assistance; housing counseling; crime prevention; and safety training and technical assistance. The block grant approach to housing for Native Americans was
created in 1996, when the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) was passed
by Congress, giving tribes the authority to determine how funds should be used to address the specific needs of
their communities.

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 as
well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and espanol.hud.gov.

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