TULSA, Okla. – Two federal agencies are providing almost $6 million to tribes across the country in an attempt to address homelessness among Native veterans.
Speaking Friday at the winter meeting of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro announced that 26 tribes nationwide will be receiving a combined $5.9 million in grant money to provide permanent homes, rental assistance and supportive services for Native veterans on or near reservations and tribal jurisdictional areas who are either currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
“This is the first time the federal government has made a concentrated effort to address homelessness within tribal communities,” Castro said. “This means we’ll be learning as we go and listening to Native leaders to implement a shared vision of what is needed to get more Native families into secure housing.”
The money will be administered through the Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, a partnership between HUD and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Since 2008, more than 79,000 vouchers have been awarded and approximately 90,000 homeless veterans have been served through the broader HUD-VASH program. Rental assistance and supportive services provided through HUD-VASH are a critical resource for local communities in ending homelessness among our nation's veterans.
In 2015, Congress authorized funding for a demonstration program in order to expand the HUD-VASH program into Indian Country and directed HUD to coordinate with tribes, tribally designated housing entities and other appropriate tribal organizations on the design of this program, and to ensure the effective delivery of housing assistance and supportive services to eligible Native American veterans.
Muscogee (Creek) Nation Second Chief Louis Hicks, a Vietnam War veteran, welcomed Friday’s announcement.
“As a veteran, I am really happy to see this opportunity,” he said. “As we’ve emphasized before, housing help is needed and this is a way to make sure our veterans are not left behind.”
Hicks’ tribe is among five in Oklahoma tapped to participate and will be receiving $216,566 to house 20 veterans within its eight-county jurisdictional area. A Muscogee (Creek) Nation spokeswoman said Friday that the tribe does not yet have a timeline in place for when it will roll out the program.
Other Oklahoma tribes receiving funds through the program include the Cherokee Nation, Choctaw Nation, Osage Nation and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. The five Oklahoma tribes are slated to receive a combined $1.85 million, which will provide housing assistance for 100 veterans.
“An America that is inclusive and honors the dignity of all citizens is a nation that is stronger and one that is more secure,” Castro said. “Together, I’m convinced we will create a more prosperous future for Native families here in Oklahoma and across the United States and in doing that, we will create a stronger 21st century for all Americans.”