Governor Newsom Awards Another $38.2 million Taxpayer Funds to Federal Tribes For Housing and Homelessness

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday he was awarding $38.2 million to California Native American communities to fund housing and homelessness that meet their communities’ unique needs.

“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 governor’s press statement reports. “The program provides flexible funding to implement unique, culturally responsive interventions to help tribal governments prevent and end homelessness within their communities.”

Why?

According to Gov. Newsom, “Tribal governments have faced historical disinvestment and barriers in accessing both state funding and traditional financing for affordable housing.”

Aren’t these federally recognized tribes sovereign nations?

“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,” Gov. Newsom says.

All of this came about as the state was locked down under Gov. Newsom’s Covid orders in 2021. Assembly Bill  140 a budget housing bill, and Assembly Bill 166, also a budget housing bill, were passed and signed into law July 2021 by Gov. Newsom.

“In consideration of the response to the Tribal Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Round 4 Notice of Funding Availability, the California Department of Housing and Community Development has conditionally awarded $28.5 million in Tribal Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Round 4 funds across 68 California Federally Recognized Tribes.”

But wait! Didn’t California tribes receive $91 million to combat the housing crisis already in 2024 through the Tribal Homekey program “to assist 37 federally recognized tribes in California to implement culturally responsive interventions to prevent and address homelessness?”

Calling CalDOGE.

Gov. Newsom continues:

“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.”

Here is the listing of tribes who have been awarded the state funds, and the amount of the awards:

Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria  – $323,412.00
Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California  – $316,991.00
Big Lagoon Rancheria  – $464,353.00
Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria  – $317,876.00
Bridgeport Indian Colony  – $316,337.00
Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria –  $319,645.00
Cahuilla Band of Indians – $533,449.00
California Valley Miwok Tribe –  $724,571.00
Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Indian
Reservation  – $327,604.00
Cedarville Rancheria  – $524,781.00
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation  – $343,046.00
Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria  – $320,529.00
Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me Wuk Indians of California  – $907,574.00
Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California  – $322,050.00
Cold Springs Rancheria of Mono Indians of California  – $317,540.00
Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians  – $901,732.00
Elem Indian Colony Pomo Indians of Sulphur Bank Rancheria  – $315,400.00
Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California  – $333,707.00
Fort Bidwell Indian Community of the Fort Bidwell Reservation of
California  – $320,724.00
Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort
Independence Reservation  – $534,156.00
Greenville Rancheria – $317,204.00
Grindstone Indian Rancheria of Wintun-Wailaki Indians of California  – $529,204.00
Guidiville Rancheria of California  – $315,453.00
Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe $314,692.00
Hoopa Valley Tribe  – $373,948.00
Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, California  – $528,319.00
Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel  – $327,604.00
Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California  – $331,620.00
Karuk Tribe  – $560,459.00
Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria  – $336,767.00
Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation  – $319,698.00
Koi Nation of Northern California  – $524,958.00
La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians  – $328,347.00
La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Indian
Reservation  – $315,152.00
Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe – $322,068.00
Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria,
California  – $335,883.00
Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Manzanita
Reservation  – $526,586.00
Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande
Reservation, California  – $333,300.00
Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California  – $319,185.00
Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California –  $324,951.00
Morongo Band of Mission Indians  – $559,274.00
Pala Band of Mission Indians  – $340,871.00
Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pauma & Yuima
Reservation  – $318,937.00
Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians  – $343,895.00
Pinoleville Pomo Nation, California  – $320,529.00
Pit River Tribe  – $1,500,000.00
Potter Valley Tribe  – $532,741.00
Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People  – $350,000.00
Quartz Valley Indian Community of the Quartz Valley Reservation of
California  – $317,080.00
Redwood Valley or Little River Band of Pomo Indians of the Redwood
Valley Rancheria of California  – $455,845.00
Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians  – $316,549.00
Round Valley Indian Tribes – $402,196.00
San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians  – $376,247.00
Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians  – $300,000.00
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez
Reservation  – $340,446.00
Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians  – $319,963.00
Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California  – $527,435.00
Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians  – $559,274.00
Susanville Indian Rancheria  – $316,019.00
Tejon Indian Tribe  – $539,817.00
Timbisha Shoshone Tribe  – $350,000.00
Tolowa Dee ni’ Nation  – $352,315.00
Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians  – $323,235.00
Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria of
California  – $573,159.00
Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians – $320,564.00
Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California  – $338,271.00
Wilton Rancheria  – $332,027.00
Yurok Tribe  – $502,436.00
Total $28,500,000.00

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, the Governor says.

Lastly, Gov. Newsom claims:

“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.”

Who audits the tribes to verify that the state taxpayer funds go to “safe, culturally supportive interim shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness?”

Notably, tribes have donated tens of millions over decades to California politicians, ballot measures, governors and Gavin Newsom. They rank among the state’s top special interest donors.

Apparently, California Department of Housing and Community Development will work with all 68 applicants to submit revised budgets within the allocated amounts and move to finalize awards and disburse funds.