Red Cliff Receives $700K ICDBG Grant

Clean-up of abandoned lease sites to create more housing opportunities

The Red Cliff Band and its Environmental Department have been awarded a $700,000 Indian Community Development Block Grant to clean up and remediate 33 abandoned home sites on trust land. This project will make the home sites suitable and available for new housing developments as the Tribe continues to work towards increasing homeowner, rental, and shovel-ready lease sites.

“This grant award is yet another important moment in our persistent work of creating more housing opportunities for our Tribal membership and community,” said Chairman Christopher Boyd. “Our members, those living here in Gaa-Miskwaabikaang and those currently living elsewhere, need more adequate options. Our recent $12.6M allocation of ARPA funds towards developing new housing will be a great help to our members, and this grant will help us prepare even more sites.”

Red Cliff’s Environmental Department will lead the project, starting with the removal of abandoned trailers, vehicles, tires, garbage, and other items that are in violation of the Red Cliff Code of Laws Chapter 12: Pollution and Environmental Protection.

“The Environmental Department is grateful to receive this grant, and we’re ready to play a role in providing more housing options for the community,” said Linda Nguyen, Red Cliff’s Environmental Director. “Step one is ensuring these sites are cleaned and not causing any further environmental damage.”

This grant award comes after a string of grants and allocations towards the Tribe’s extreme housing shortage. An IHBG Competitive Grant gave the Tribe 12 new single-family units in 2021, with another eight expected to be completed this year. The $12.6M allocation of ARPA funds at the end of 2021 is in the process of developing 46 new units, including 20 rental apartments, 12 rental homes, and 14 homeowner units.

“This grant will provide more great resources for us to keep our development efforts moving forward,” said Nathan Gordon, Red Cliff Vice Chairman. “The reality is that many of our community members have inadequate housing options, or no housing options at all, and grants like this are so important in reversing the shortage. Our members deserve so much more.” 

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View the EWONAP June 2022 News Bulletin showing the list of grant awardees HERE.