Press release:
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $3,702,246 in federal block grants for seven New York tribal communities through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Indian Housing Block Grants Program.
Included is $35,007 for the Tonawanda Band of Seneca in Basom.
The funding, authorized in the American Rescue Plan, will go toward developing new affordable housing projects and improving existing units on Indian reservations and lands, in turn providing tangible relief to individuals and families.
“Let me make this clear: safe housing, especially during a pandemic is a right,” Senator Schumer said. “This federal investment gets us closer to our goal of ensuring that every New Yorker has a safe place to call home, including our neighbors in New York’s tribal communities.
"I have long believed in the importance of directing resources to historically disadvantaged communities, and that need is even more pronounced in this crisis which has done so much to worsen those inequities. I will always fight tooth and nail so all of New York’s tribal community members have a place to call home.”
“I am proud to announce this American Rescue Plan funding to combat homelessness across the country,” Senator Gillibrand said. “The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis have exacerbated housing insecurity across New York, especially in underserved communities.
"This funding will help ensure that New York’s tribal communities have access to stable, safe, and affordable housing. No one should ever have to question whether they’ll have a safe place to sleep at night during the pandemic and beyond.”
TRIBE
CITY
AMOUNT RECEIVED
Cayuga Nation
Seneca Falls
$186,448
Oneida Indian Nation of New York
Verona
$512,804
Seneca Nation of New York
Irving
$1,745,554
Shinnecock Indian Nation
Southampton
$67,575
St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
Akwesasne
$1,119,851
Tonawanda Band of Seneca
Basom
$35,007
Tuscarora Nation
Lewiston
$35,007
