Nevada tribal communities to get $27M for affordable housing

Nevada’s senators applauded the funding, which comes in addition to federal investments last year that helped build new housing projects in Owyhee and Washoe Valley.

Seventeen Native American tribal communities across Nevada are set to receive upwards of $27 million in federal funding to help develop and further administer affordable housing programs, the state’s two US Senators announced last week. 

Each of the 17 tribes will receive a share of $26.7 million from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Indian Housing Block Grant program, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen announced in a joint press release Thursday. 

In a statement, the Senators applauded the funding, which comes in addition to federal investments last year that helped build new housing projects on tribal lands in Owyhee in Elko County and at Washoe Valley, south of Carson City. 

“The housing crisis in Nevada is impacting everyone in our state, especially Tribal communities,” Rosen said in a statement. 

Added Cortez Masto: “Helping Tribal communities across Nevada build more homes for working families is a top priority of mine, and I’m proud to help deliver this federal funding that will provide families with the support and resources they need to improve their quality of life.”

The Walker River Paiute Tribe will receive the largest share, with an award of $4,317,185, according to the release. The following rewards will be awarded as follows: 

• $3,723,167 to the Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute Tribes
• $3,145,901 to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
• $2,668,543 to the Washoe Tribe
• $2,531,700 to the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe
• $2,302,536 to the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony
• $1,723,941 to the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians
• $1,484,003 to the Yerington Paiute Tribe
• $1,270,603 to the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes
• $1,124,207 to the Ely Shoshone Tribe
• $715,977 to the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
• $557,880 to the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians
• $486,533 to the Yomba Shoshone Tribe
• $338,971 to the Lovelock Paiute Tribe
• $110,290 to the Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians
• $110,290 to the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe
• $110,290 to the Winnemucca Indian Colony

Rosen’s office on Tuesday also announced that she and a bipartisan group of colleagues, including Cortez Masto, are urging increased funding for tribal law enforcement as lawmakers continue to craft a spending bill for fiscal year 2025. 

The Nevada senators were among a group of 12 Senators who sent a letter to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), asking the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies to ask for increased funding for tribal law enforcement, citing a dire need to increase staffing. 

“Tribal law enforcement agencies have been under-resourced and under-staffed for decades and they are now being asked to face a new, dangerous threat posed by [drug] cartels and criminal organizations,” the lawmakers wrote. “In an attempt to address manpower issues, a number of tribal leaders have asked the federal government to provide emergency resources. 

Read the full letter here. 

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