Quapaw, OK (March 31, 2021) - The Emergency Rental Assistance program makes available funds to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are provided directly to State, U.S. Territories, local governments, and Indian tribes. Grantees use the funds to provide assistance to eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance programs. We will start accepting applications on April 1, 2021. Applications are available on the website or can be mailed to you by calling 918-542-1430.
In an effort to provide clarification on ERA funds and COVID funds, Guy Barker added, "We have yet to receive any COVID funds from the Department of Interior. Also, the Department has not yet sent us the guidelines that dictate how those funds may be spent. We will provide updates on this as we start to receive more information."
These funds are the beginning of a stimulus package release known as 'ARP' or American Rescue Plan. As of now, very few funds from ARP have directly affected Native Nations, but that is soon to change with this being called "The largest stimulus package ever invested in Nation Nations".
The newly elected Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland, will have her hands full as she tries to decipher how best to use the nineteen billion the Department of Interior is to split between all 574 federally recognized tribes. The DOI was given no guidance on how to calculate the split and must created its own formula on how to do so. With Secretary Haaland becoming the first Native American to hold the esteemed position, all eyes are on her as she tries to navigate the mess she most assuredly walked into.
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