$128 Million in Total Awarded to Tribal Communities for the Construction of New Affordable Housing.
The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana was awarded a $6.4 Million grant to build nineteen new, affordable housing units in Marksville, Louisiana, to provide safe, reliable and secure housing opportunities while combatting inequities in the community. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge announced the distributions last week as part of a $128 Million grant to tribes across the country through the Indian Housing Block Grant project, which funds affordable housing activities including new housing construction, rehabilitation and housing services and more.
“I would like to thank the Secretary of HUD, Marcia Fudge, all of her staff, the Tunica-Biloxi Housing Department, the Tunica-Biloxi grant writing team, and our tribal citizens and their families for all of their patience and support while we address our housing needs and challenges. These funds will allow us to provide an affordable and stable housing environment for nineteen families,” said Tunica-Biloxi Chairman Marshall Pierite.
Chairman Pierite serves on the first-ever Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (TIAC), created by HUD in 2022. The TIAC is comprised of dozens of tribal leaders who are committed to strengthening the nation-to-nation relationship between HUD and Tribal communities, coordinating policy across all HUD programs, and advising HUD regarding the housing priorities of the American Indian and Alaska Native peoples.
Regarding the creation of adequate housing opportunities, Pierite stated, “Having a roof over your head and walls around you protects us from the elements of nature and creates the solid foundation under your feet that keeps a family together. The stability of a home creates a solid foundation and together as a Nation – through strategic partnerships like these – we create that foundation for all and accomplish great things together.”
The grant will allow the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana to build housing for nineteen families to address the housing shortage and instability that is the result of poor economic conditions and natural disasters. The newly constructed units will consist of multiple floor plans for three-bedroom homes and will have mixed uses including elderly housing, emergency housing, and housing for dislocated tribal citizens and low-income tribal citizens while being ADA accessible.
Project and Construction Director Ron Bordelon will lead the development and construction, utilizing his years of experience including the construction of one new emergency temporary housing unit for tribal members at risk of homelessness due to economic conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and/or natural disasters.
The $128 million tranche of funding will be distributed to twenty-two communities through a competitive grant program. View the list of awardees here.