HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Penobscot Indian Nation have been awarded federal housing grants totaling $388,466, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced in a joint statement released Wednesday.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Indian Housing Block Grant Program awarded $249,462 to the Penobscot Nation and $139,004 to the Houlton Band of Maliseets.
The Maliseets will use their funding for operational expenses and to help the tribe complete its housing plan goals and objectives, according to Aaron Greenlaw, housing director for the Maliseets.
“These important investments in Maine’s tribal communities will help support vital projects to maintain and improve the availability of safe, affordable housing on their lands,” Sens. Collins and King said in their joint statement.
The Indian Housing Block Grant Program is a formula grant that provides a range of affordable housing activities on Indian reservations and in tribal areas, according to the release. It further stated that eligible activities include housing development, assistance to housing developed under the Indian Housing Program, housing services to eligible families and individuals, crime prevention and safety, and model activities that provide creative approaches to solving affordable housing problems.
