Native communities across the country face distinct housing challenges, from aging infrastructure on remote reservations to limited access to capital and technical expertise. A new round of grants will put local solutions into action by providing resources that can address tribal communities' most pressing needs.
Twenty-eight tribal organizations from New York to Hawaii to Alaska are strengthening their capacity to serve Native families with nearly $1.5 million in Section 4 grants. These groups will use the funding to advance critical work, including infrastructure improvements, homeownership programs, energy conservation, leadership development, and operational enhancements.
What makes these grants work is simple: they trust tribal communities to know what their people need.
Jeff Ackley, Jr., Sokaogon Chippewa, director of Enterprise's Tribal Programs.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by Enterprise, the Section 4 Capacity Building Program remains one of the nation’s most effective tools for strengthening community development corporations and community housing development organizations. These grants help local partners expand staff, deepen technical expertise, and accelerate the housing development, preservation, and revitalization efforts that build stronger, more resilient communities for generations to come.
"Tribal organizations are underrepresented in philanthropic support, so having flexible resources they can direct toward their priorities makes a real difference," Ackley said.
Grant Recipients
Here’s how the grantees are using their awards to support housing and economic development in tribal communities.
Akwesasne Housing Authority (New York): Engage a consultant to develop a strategic plan, refreshing the mission and vision after 40 years of operation.
Arizona Native Asset Coalition Corporation (Arizona): Enhance financial literacy, credit education, and housing counseling services through staff support and outreach.
Coeur d'Alene Tribal Housing Authority (Idaho): Address training needs focusing on maintenance and occupancy department capacity and operational efficiency improvements.
Cook Inlet Housing Authority (Alaska): Support residents' upward mobility through a homeownership readiness program with Cook Inlet Lending Center.
Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians (California): Strengthen internal processes and capacity to increase their ability to deliver on their mission.
Eastern Woodlands Development Corporation (New York): Create a Native Community Development Financial Institution (NCDFI) that focuses on affordable homeownership financing on tribal lands.
Four Directions Development Corporation (Maine): Support organizational growth through a new IT platform and staff to develop procedures and training.
Hawaiian Lending and Investments (Hawaii): Increase Native Hawaiian homeownership through the down payment assistance program.
Interior Regional Housing Authority (Alaska): Increase staff capacity through workplace safety training.
Ketchikan Indian Community (Alaska): Support a navigation center and permanent supportive housing development by hiring a coordinator and conducting training.
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Michigan): Improve wastewater infrastructure for a four-plex rental property through engineering services and design.
Mesa Grande Indian Housing Authority (California): Build capacity in tenant relations, financial oversight, and technology to modernize housing and support development.
Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (California): Begin establishing a Native CDFI through a community needs assessment and certification training.
Mohawk Indian Housing Corporation (New York): Hire a grants management coordinator and consultants to build capacity in organizational policies and procedures.
Navajo Townsite Community Development Corporation (New Mexico): Expand organizational capacity and growth through staff trainings and professional development.
Northern Cheyenne Tribal Housing Authority (Montana): Strengthen internal processes and capacity to improve mission outcomes.
Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for Housing, Inc. (South Dakota): Address housing needs through professional training, community outreach, and educational programs for sustainable solutions.
Opportunity Link, Inc. (Montana): Expand asset and wealth development services through an energy conservation education program.
Red Cliff Chippewa Housing Authority (Wisconsin): Support growth through professional development, consultant support, and technology upgrades.
Sault Tribe Housing Authority (Michigan): Hire a consultant to assist with a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit application for a permanent supportive housing development.
Sicangu Community Development Corporation (South Dakota): Support the Keya Wakpala Woicageyapi project through strategic planning, engineering services, and fundraising materials.
South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition (South Dakota): Increase capacity and support activities that enhance homeownership programs across the state.
The Lakota Fund Incorporated (South Dakota): Support the construction intern program and contractor training opportunities.
Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority (Alaska): Engage a consultant for long-term planning of housing developments, plus purchase planning software and training.
Tuolumne Economic Development Authority/Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians (California): Hire consultants for predevelopment activities for affordable rental housing on tribal land.
White Earth Reservation Housing Authority (Minnesota): Support a permanent supportive housing development by hiring an architect to create renderings.
Wisconsin Indigenous Economic Development Corporation (Wisconsin): Hire a program manager to manage the Wisconsin Native Housing Coalition.
Wisconsin Native Loan Fund Inc. (Wisconsin): Acquire an automated mortgage underwriting system and support professional development for lending staff.
