New housing grants totaling more than $233.7 million will be distributed to 20 tribal communities in Arizona, according to a joint announcement from the state’s U.S. Senate delegation of Mark Kelly (D) and Kyrsten Sinema (I).

“Arizona is facing an affordable housing crisis, which has hit our state’s Tribal communities especially hard,” Kelly said in a statement. “These grants will go a long way towards addressing the critical needs of Arizona’s Tribal communities and getting more Arizonans housed. By investing in affordable and accessible housing, we’re investing in the future of these communities and ensuring more families can thrive.”  

“All Arizonans deserve access to affordable housing. We’re proudly delivering today’s investments ensuring Tribal communities across Arizona have accessible, affordable places to call home,” Sinema added.

The 20 grants fall under the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). They will support “the development and operation of low-income housing for tribes in Arizona,” and assist “grant recipients with affordable housing activities including new housing construction, rehabilitation, and housing services, on reservations and in Tribal communities,” the announcement explained.

The largest recipients of the funding include the Navajo Nation ($132.9 million), the Tohono O’odham Nation ($25.6 million), the Hopi Tribe ($14.9 million), the White Mountain Apache Tribe ($13.1 million) and the Gila River Indian Community ($12.2 million).

Earlier this month, HUD announced $1.1 billion in funding for tribal housing and community development under the IHBG program to be distributed nationally.

Last month, HUD also announced a new rule aimed at bolstering the department’s Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee program, with the goal to increase lender participation and ensure access to potential Native American beneficiaries.

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