Warner & Kaine Announce Over $1.4 Million in Federal Funding for Affordable Housing for Virginia Tribes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,402,421 in federal funding for affordable housing for Virginia Tribes. The funding will be used for housing development, housing services, crime prevention and safety, and other affordable housing activities.

“These past two years have been difficult for all of us, with some of the most extreme pandemic impacts falling on tribal communities,” said the Senators. “It’s critical that we not only respect their sovereignty and self-determination, but help them access resources to address urgent issues, like the affordable housing crisis.”

The funding is broken down as follows:

• $327,533 for Chickahominy Indian Tribe in Providence Forge
• $86,178 for Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division in Providence Forge
• $409,437 for Monacan Indian Nation in Madison Heights
• $220,655 for Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe in King William
• $184,484 for Nansemond Indian Nation in Suffolk
• $86,095 for Pamunkey Indian Tribe in King William
• $88,003 for Rappahannock Tribe in Indian Neck

The funding was awarded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Indian Housing Block Grant program.

In 2017, Kaine and Warner led legislation to grant federal recognition to six Virginia Tribes—including the Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Upper Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Monacan, and Nansemond. After centuries of being denied federal recognition, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act was signed into law on January 30, 2018. This federal recognition makes it possible for these tribes to receive this federal funding.

In April 2021, Kaine visited Nansemond Indian Nation to hold a roundtable with tribal members to discuss challenges that the community has faced throughout the COVID pandemic.

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