Feds award $10 million to two Oregon tribal groups for affordable housing projects

Two Oregon tribes will receive nearly $10 million in federal funding to build more affordable housing, Oregon’s two Democratic senators announced. 

The Warm Springs Housing Authority and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians will each receive $5 million to build affordable housing for tribal members. 

The funding will support the construction of seven single-family homes for each tribal group. 

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Indian Housing Block Grant Competitive Program, which provides federal funding to eligible tribes to support affordable housing projects with a priority given to new construction and housing rehabilitation projects. 

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Secretary-Treasurer and CEO Edward R. Henderson thanked the tribes’ housing director, Denielle Woods, for her efforts in securing the funding. 

“We are grateful for (Housing and Urban Development)’s significant investment in our Nation that will help us provide new affordable housing for Warm Springs families who need safe, stable homes,” Henderson said in a statement.

For Cow Creek Umpqua citizens, affordable housing is a crucial component of self-sufficiency, Tribe chair Carla Keene said.

“It helps families and individuals feel a sense of security, stability, traditions and provides a place for lasting, living memories,” she said in a statement. “We are thrilled to receive this generous grant and look forward to the positive contributions it will make in Douglas County.”

U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden celebrated the funding, saying they’ll keep fighting to ensure Tribal nations in Oregon get the federal resources they need to support their citizens.