Governor Newsom awards $38.2 million to help tribes expand housing and homelessness solutions

What you need to know: Building on progress in reducing homelessness in California tribal communities, Governor Gavin Newsom announced $38.2 million in funding for housing and homelessness solutions that support culturally responsive interventions for tribal communities. This funding supports permanent housing solutions, youth interventions, and flexible solutions for the unique needs of tribal communities.

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced awards totaling nearly $38.2 million to support California Native American communities in funding housing and homelessness solutions that meet their communities' unique needs.

California is strengthening its partnership with tribal governments through programs and initiatives rooted in dignity, self-determination, and stability. Tribal communities know their people, their histories, and their challenges best. This government-to-government approach is designed to respect tribal sovereignty while addressing historic inequities and supporting efforts to reduce homelessness and help more Californians move off the streets and into safe, stable housing.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Sixty-eight federally recognized tribes were awarded a total of $28.5 million through Round 4 of the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Tribal Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (Tribal HHAP). The program provides flexible funding to implement unique, culturally responsive interventions to help tribal governments prevent and end homelessness within their communities.

"As Chairwoman, I am proud that we have secured this grant to help address homelessness and housing instability in our community," said Chairwoman Angela Elliott-Santos, Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. "Through this funding, the Tribe will be able to provide safe, culturally supportive interim shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. We are grateful to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for investing in Tribal-led solutions that advance Tribal sovereignty and empower Tribes to meet the unique needs of their communities."

Tribal governments have faced historical disinvestment and barriers in accessing both state funding and traditional financing for affordable housing. Created with tribal sovereignty and self-determination in mind, Tribal HHAP and other investments into tribal communities aim to remove barriers and increase access to housing resources. Since 2019, California, through HCD programs, has made 174 awards totaling nearly $330.3 million to tribal governments.

"Tribal HHAP and Tribal Homekey+ strengthen tribal communities by removing long-standing barriers and honoring their sovereign, community-driven approaches to housing," said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Tomiquia Moss. "These innovative programs reflect this administration's deep commitment to solutions rooted in sovereignty, respect, and partnership so that tribal governments are supported in building a future where every community member is safely housed."

Since its inception, Tribal HHAP has served more than 3,325 people in tribal communities. Nearly $15 million invested in permanent housing solutions has resulted in the creation or renovation of 319 permanent housing units, providing homes to more than 636 people in tribal communities. An additional $34 million-plus has been invested in youth homelessness interventions, serving over 758 youth experiencing homelessness. Under Governor Newsom's leadership, HCD has increased the number of tribal governments receiving Tribal HHAP funds by 83% since the previous round, and 330% since the first round of Tribal HHAP funding.

"HCD is proud to work hand-in-hand with our tribal partners to advance programs that break down historic barriers to affordable housing finance," said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. "Through programs built around tribal sovereignty, we have the flexibility to fund housing and homelessness solutions through which tribes can best address the unique needs of their members."

See a full list of Tribal HHAP awards here.

In addition to the Tribal HHAP awards, the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria was awarded nearly $9.7 million for the Kashia Windsor Housing Project, under the new Tribal Homekey+ Program funded by voter-approved Proposition 1. The funds will provide 22 affordable rental homes for people at risk of homelessness. The majority of tribal members reside in Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Napa Counties.

An approach that works

In addition to today's announcement, Governor Newsom is creating a structural and foundational model across the state that will have positive impacts for generations to come.

The Governor is streamlining and prioritizing building new housing, funding new shelters, housing, and supports, addressing mental health and its impact on homelessness through voter-approved Proposition 1, and creating new pathways for those who need it most through updated conservatorship laws and a new CARE court system. California is also addressing encampments statewide to help get people off the streets and into care. All this work is creating positive results.

Last year, as a result of the Governor's strategies to address the housing and homelessness crisis, for the first time in over 15 years, California's unsheltered homelessness decreased by 9.5%. While other states and the nation as a whole continue to see homelessness rising, California is reversing a crisis decades in the making.