Native Learning Center



In this Issue: Check out HUD’s website!

1. What’s New! Federal News Briefs & Important Due Dates

2. Upcoming Trainings/Conferences/Events (Calendar of Events)

3. Funding Announcements for Tribes and tribal organizations

4. Helpful Resources

5. Bits and Pieces

6. Contact Us Visit our website at codetalk.

Join the SWONAP Newsletter Listserv to receive our Information Bulletins with news and events related to Indian Country, HUD ONAP, Southwest Regional Tribes, Funding Opportunities, Training and more:

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1. What's New on Codetalk (codetalk)! Federal News Briefs & Important Due Dates:

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|HUD's Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) administers housing and community development programs that benefit American Indian and Alaska Native |

|tribal governments, tribal members, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, Native Hawaiians, and other Native American organizations. Read more about |

|ONAP’s mission, funding programs, directory, & program accomplishments. Check codetalk for the latest ONAP news and updates . |

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|NOFA Published for FY19 & FY20 Indian Community Development Block Grant - Applications due Feb. 3, 2020. |

|The Fiscal Year 2019/2020 Indian Community Development Block Grant Notice of Funding Availability was posted on Nov. 19, 2019. Applicants must be eligible |

|Indian tribes (or tribal organization). Funding of up to $65,000,000 is available through this NOFA from funds appropriated for FY2019. Funding for FY2020 |

|will be awarded through this NOFA and is subject to congressional appropriation. All grants must be submitted through . To view the grant |

|opportunity and submit an application package, visit . |

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|SWONAP is offering FY 2019-2020 ICDBG NOFA Workshops as follows: |

|Jan. 7, 2020 in Phoenix, AZ: : |

|Jan. 8, 2020 in Albuquerque, NM and |

|Jan. 9, 2020 in Reno, NV . |

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|The purpose of HUD’s ICDBG program is the development of viable Indian and Alaska Native communities, including the creation of decent housing, suitable |

|living environments, and economic opportunities primarily for persons with low- and moderate- incomes as defined in 24 CFR Part 1003.4. Applications are |

|due on February 3, 2020. |

|Additional info. at: |

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|HUD Program Guidance- No. 2019-05 FBI Criminal History Guidance (posted 1/7/20) |

|Purpose: This guidance updates and replaces NAHASDA Guidance No. 20 13-08, Update to Instructions for Obtaining FBI Criminal History Record Information, |

|August 19, 2013. It advises Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHE5) on the process for obtaining Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) |

|criminal history record information of adult applicants for employment or current and prospective tenants for purposes of applicant screening, lease |

|enforcement, and eviction. |

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|FREE HUD/ONAP Trainings! Registration for HUD’s trainings is FREE, but you must register to attend. For course descriptions & to register, visit |

|CALENDAR OF EVENTS |

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|HUD Awards Nearly $200 Million for Affordable Housing in Native American Communities |

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|new housing units for low-income families living on Indian reservations or in other Indian areas, and spur economic opportunities in distressed communities|

|to help our neediest families. Additionally, HUD’s Tribal partners are maximizing this investment by leveraging an estimated $90 million dollars in |

|additional resources. Many of the grantees are located in Opportunity Zones. HUD remains committed to working collaboratively to address housing needs with|

|our Native American partners. The Indian Housing Block Grant program is a wonderful example of how HUD continues to invest in Tribal communities. For more |

|information about the winners, click here.[pic] |

|ONAP Vacancy Announcements: |

|Loan Guarantee Specialist -GS13, Washington, DC Closes: January 16, 2020 |

|CLICK TO APPLY As a Loan Guarantee Specialist, you will: |

|Review lender and Tribal loan packages for compliance with Indian loan guarantee program requirements. |

|Evaluate loan files for compliance with sound underwriting decisions, prudent loan origination/ servicing practices and compliance with loan guarantee |

|program requirements. |

|Plan and conduct on-site reviews of financial institutions participating in the Section 184 Loan Guarantee program. |

|Formulate guidelines and provide technical advice, guidance, and interpretation of complex policies and procedures regarding the Indian loan guarantee |

|programs. |

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|Lead Grants Evaluation Specialist, GS-13, Denver, CO Closes: January 20, 2020 |

|For more position details and to apply, visit |

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Housing Help: Resources for Native Americans - Contact the following offices for assistance:

• To live on public lands, contact the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH).

• To live on a reservation, contact a local Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE).

• Locate your state housing counseling agency or call 1-800-569-4287 to locate the nearest agency.

Native American Housing Programs

• Indian Housing's Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) - administers housing & community development programs to ensure that safe, decent, & affordable housing for Native American families.

• Indian Housing Grant Programs-provide financial assistance for Indian tribes to develop affordable housing and to provide housing activities on a reservation or Indian area. Guidebooks available.

• Housing Improvement Program (HIP): provides home repair, renovation, replacement, & new housing grants

• Native Housing Resources/Tribal Court Clearinghouse (a project of the Tribal Law and Policy Institute):

• Healthier Tribal Housing: Combining the Best of Old and New:

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ITEP’s Onsite Mentor Program: The ITEP Onsite Mentor Program provides assistance with solid waste management activities, and has successfully helped a number of Tribes get assistance from other Tribal professionals! To apply, fill out an application from the ITEP Mentor page (). Applications for this quarter are due Wed., Jan. 22, 2020. For more info., contact Todd Barnell (Todd.Barnell@nau.edu) or Julie Jurkowski (Julie.Jurkowski@nau.edu).

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2. TRAININGS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS:

|Conferences & Event |Date/Location |Description |

|[pic] |Feb. 4-6 |FREE forum for tribal leaders and federal agencies to discuss methamphetamine prevalence, opioid |

|National Tribal Crime Prevention |Denver, CO |addiction, violence against women, and gang violence. Discussion of these topics will aid tribal |

|Summit (HUD/ONAP) | |leaders to come up with unified efforts for their community to combat these crimes. Participants |

| | |will learn about how these topics affect housing and the greater tribal community. Info. on |

| | |available funding sources and ideas for implementing policies to prevent and address these crimes |

| | |will be shared. Tribal leaders, housing department executives, housing authority leaders, and |

| | |interested tribal community members are encouraged to participate in this event. Register at |

| | |

| | |dd8c2ef.aspx . |

|RES2020 |March 1-5, 2020 |RES2020 is the world’s premier Tribal business event targeting over 3,000 attendees from around the |

| |Las Vegas, NV |country. Tribes have unprecedented economic power. RES2020 gives organizations the opportunity to |

| | |start that dialogue with these key decision makers. Over 3,000 attendees, a full-day of training for|

| | |budding businesses, a procurement expo that links buyers and contractors with Native suppliers and |

| | |subcontractors and a Trade Show to facilitate additional business connections and networking. |

| | |RES2020 links corporate America and Native American businesses, tribally-owned enterprises, and |

| | |tribal governments. For more info., visit . |

|5th Annual Tribal Nations Training |March 28-Apr 4 |The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) hosts this training, which is completely funded for |

|Week |Anniston, AL |state, local, tribal and territorial emergency responders to include roundtrip airfare, meals, |

| | |lodging, training and any equipment required during training. Visit to |

| | |complete the online registration. Your FEMA SID number and Password will be needed/used throughout |

| | |the registration process, leading up to your attendance, and while attending training. For more |

| | |info, contact David Hall at David.Hall@fema. or 866-213-9548. |

|20th Annual Travois Indian Country |March 31-Apr. 2 |This one-of-a-kind educational conference provides help for tribal entities interested in securing |

|Affordable Housing & Economic |San Antonio, TX |funds for affordable housing and economic developments in Native communities. Learn tips and tools |

|Development Conference | |for using the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program and the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) |

| | |program and other financing sources like impact investments, grants and more. These two federal tax |

| | |credit programs have directly led to more than $1.4 billion of new and rehabilitated homes, |

| | |businesses and services in Indian Country. Travois staff, experienced tribal developers and industry|

| | |partners will share best practices on how to move developments forward — planning, securing |

| | |financing, architectural design, construction monitoring, asset management and compliance and more. |

| | |Outstanding industry professionals who are making a difference in Native communities will be |

| | |recognized at the Superhero Awards ceremony celebrating Travois 25th anniversary! Registration opens|

| | |soon. Questions? Contact comm@ or call 816-994-8970. |

|National Tribal & Indigenous Climate|Aug. 31-Sept. 4 |The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) hosts the US’ First Annual National |

|Conference (NTICC) |Location: TBA |Tribal and Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC) along with support from the Bureau of Indian |

| | |Affairs (BIA) Tribal Resilience Program. The NTICC is open to all US tribal nations & Indigenous |

| | |Peoples from throughout the world, with an emphasis on including our Elders & Youth. The NTICC will |

| | |convene experts on climate change which will include a balance of Western Science & Traditional |

| | |Indigenous Knowledges. Topic areas will address impacts, assessments, adaptation, mitigation, |

| | |implementation, and solutions. For more info., contact ITEP Conferences at 928/523-9555 or |

| | |itep@nau.edu |

3. FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR TRIBES/TRIBAL ENTITIES:

|Agency/Source |Deadline To |Additional Information |

| |Apply | |

|Water Management Funding|Jan. 8, 2020|The Bureau of Reclamation funding opportunity for technical assistance to federally recognized Indian tribes to |

|Opportunity for Indian | |assist them in developing, managing and protecting their water and related resources. Reclamation anticipates |

|Tribes | |distributing a total of $1 million for up to 15 different projects to assist tribes in the 17 Western states. The |

| | |maximum award per proposal is $200,000; projects must be completed within two physical years. More info. at |

| | | by searching for funding opportunities "BOR-DO-20-FO13." |

|Native American |Jan. 31, |Native American Congressional Internship : Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation provides a summer |

|Congressional Internship|2020 |internship for Native American and Alaska Native students who wish to learn more about the federal government and |

| | |issues affecting Indian country. |

|FY19 Pre-Disaster |Jan. 31, |View the DHS Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) FY 2019 Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Fact Sheet at |

|Mitigation and Flood |2020 |. |

|Mitigation Assistance | |View the DHS Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) FY 2019 Flood Mitigation Assistance and Fact Sheet at |

|(DHS/FEMA) | | |

| | |Subscribe to the Mitigation Minute, at Hazard Mitigation Assistance webpage and select "Subscribe to HMA.” |

|Agency/Source |Deadline To |Additional Information |

| |Apply | |

|[pic] |Feb. 3 |The Fiscal Year 2019/2020 Indian Community Development Block Grants are available to eligible Indian tribes (or |

|FY 19/20 Indian | |tribal organization). Funding of up to $65,000,000 is available for FY 2019. Funding for FY2020 will be awarded |

|Community Development | |through this NOFA and is subject to congressional appropriation. More info. is found at |

|Block Grants (HUD/ONAP) | |

| | |illages |

| | |All grants must be submitted through . To view the grant opportunity and submit an application package, |

| | |visit |

|FY2020 Environmental |Feb. 11, |competitive funding opportunity for projects designed to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the |

|Literacy Grants |2020 |public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather|

| |(Priority 2)|and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. This funding opportunity is |

| | |soliciting 2 types of projects through separate competitive priorities. |

| | |Priority 1 will support new projects ($250,000 - $500,000 per project) located in Southern & Western Regions of US|

| | |Priority 2 will support the evolution of projects funded under the 2015-2016 funding opportunities from this |

| | |program. The list of awards that are eligible can be found here: . Funding levels for this|

| | |priority are $100,000 - $500,000 per project. For both priorities, eligible applicants are: ·   institutions |

| | |of higher education;     K-12 public and independent schools and school systems;    other nonprofits, |

| | |including community-based organizations and informal education institutions, such as museums, zoos, and |

| | |aquariums;      state and local government agencies; and      Indian tribal governments in the United |

| | |States.  |

| | |Read the full funding announcement (NOAA-SEC-OED-2020-2006190) in for additional requirements. |

|Rural Business |Open |Federally Recognized Indian Tribes are eligible. This program is a competitive grant designed to support targeted |

|Development Grants | |technical assistance, training and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging |

| | |private businesses in rural areas which will employ 50 or fewer new employees and has less than $1 million in |

| | |gross revenue. Programmatic activities are separated into enterprise or opportunity type grant activities. More |

| | |info. at: |

|Rural Broadband Loans & |Open |Broadband Program furnishes loans and loan guarantees to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement,|

|Loan Guarantees (USDA) | |or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide service at the broadband lending speed in eligible |

| | |rural areas. For more info. on other programs administered by Rural Utility Service (RUS) Telecommunications |

| | |visit: |

|Telecommunications |Ongoing |Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees |

|Infrastructure Loans & | |Program provides financing for the construction, maintenance, improvement and expansion of telephone service and |

|Loan Guarantees (USDA | |broadband in rural areas. |

|RD/RUS) | | |

|Justice Department |Open |Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities for Tribal Communities |

|Announces Funding | |The U.S. Department of Justice announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to|

|Opportunities for Tribal| |federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and tribal consortia to support public |

|Communities | |safety, victim services and crime prevention. |

|Indian Land Tenure |Open |The Foundation provides funding to Indian nations to support various aspects of land recovery with a focus on |

|Foundation - Land | |reacquiring alienated federal lands. Returning lands to Indian ownership and control is important to ensure that |

|Recovery Efforts | |Indian people have access to the financial and natural resources within their own reservations. The Foundation |

| | |supports a variety of initiatives to assist tribes in the development of plans to reacquire reservation lands. |

| | |More info. at: |

|Environmental |Open |Loan Program to create/improve/expand supply of safe drinking water, waste disposal systems & other facilities |

|Infrastructure Loan | |serving rural communities by providing early funding to small rural communities to determine feasibility & pay |

|Program (RCAC) | |pre-development costs prior to receiving state &/or federal program funding. May also provide interim construction|

| | |financing, & intermediate/long-term loans for system improvements. Nonprofit orgs., public agencies & tribal |

| | |governments are eligible. Projects must be located in rural areas with populations of 50,000 or less in AK, AZ, |

| | |CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA and WY. Community size is limited to 10,000 for long-term USDA guaranteed |

| | |loans & short-term loans for which USDA is the long-term lender. Eligible projects incl. water, wastewater, solid |

| | |waste/storm water facilities. Contact Juanita Hallstrom, jhallstrom@ or visit |

|Drinking Water and Waste|Open |Drinking Water and Waste Disposal for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages |

|Disposal for Rural & | |USDA Rural Development offers this program to help extend access to clean, reliable water and waste disposal |

|Native Alaskan Villages | |systems for households and businesses in remote and extremely isolated parts of the U. S. |

|Financial Literacy |Open |- Discover Foundation. Applications accepted year-round. |

|Funding | | |

|Honor the Earth Native |Open |Honor the Earth Native Food Security Grants Funding for native organizations working to create food security |

|Food Security Grants | |using traditional seeds, foods, and growing methods, as well as energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. |

|Agency/Source |Deadline To |Additional Information |

| |Apply | |

|Direct Home Loans for |Open |(Managing Agency Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)) - The NADL program makes home loans available to |

|Native Americans | |eligible Native American Veterans who wish to purchase, construct, or improve a home on Federal Trust land or to |

| | |reduce the interest rate. Veterans who are not Native American, but who are married to a Native American |

| | |non-Veteran, may be eligible for a direct loan under this program. For more info., visit the NADL program |

| | |website. General Program Requirements: 1. The applicant must be an eligible Veteran. 2. The tribal |

| | |organization or other appropriate Native American group must be participating in the VA direct loan program. The |

| | |tribal organization must have signed a MOU with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, that spells out the conditions |

| | |under which the program will operate on its trust lands. 3. Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility. 4. The |

| | |loan must be to purchase, construct, or improve a home on Native American trust land. 5. The Veteran must occupy |

| | |the property as his or her primary residence. 6. The Veteran must be a satisfactory credit risk. |

|Community Facilities |Ongoing |RURAL LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) created the Community Facilities Fund to provide capital to |

|Fund (LISC) | |help develop & improve essential community facilities in rural areas. This fund provides permanent and |

| | |construction-to-permanent financing for rural community facilities, including health care centers, hospitals, |

| | |educational facilities, and other nonprofit and public facilities in rural communities with populations under |

| | |20,000. Click here for more. |

|Emergency Community |Open |Program helps eligible rural communities recover from or prepare for emergencies that result in a decline in |

|Water Assistance Grants | |capacity to provide safe, reliable drinking water for households & businesses. Federally recognized Tribal lands |

|(USDA-RD) | |and Colonias are eligible; Privately owned wells are not eligible.•Up to $150K for repairs to breaks/leaks in |

| | |existing water distribution lines, & related maintenance. • Up to $500K for construction of a new water source, |

| | |intake &/or treatment facility or waterline extensions. |

|National Endowment for |Open |Program supports creative placemaking projects to help transform communities into lively, beautiful & resilient |

|the Arts “Our Town” | |places achieving community goals through strategies that incorporate arts, culture, &/or design. This funding |

|Grant Program | |supports local efforts to enhance quality of life & opportunity for existing residents, increase creative |

| | |activity, & create or preserve a distinct sense of place. Eligible lead applicants are: ● Nonprofit tax-exempt |

| | |501(c)(3) U.S. organizations with 3-year history of programming; and ● Local govt counties, parishes, cities, |

| | |towns, villages, or federally recognized tribal governments. |

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|USDA WATER & WASTE |Open |USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program provides loans/grants for clean and reliable drinking water|

|DISPOSAL LOANS & GRANTS | |systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and |

| | |businesses in rural areas with a population of 10,000 or less. In some cases, funding may also be available for |

| | |related activities such as legal and engineering fees, land acquisition, water and land rights, permits and |

| | |equipment and other activities necessary to complete a project. Eligible Applicants include federally recognized |

| | |tribes who are unable to obtain commercial credit. RDApply. |

|Indian Loan Guaranty, |Open |This program assists in obtaining financing from private sources to promote business development initiatives that |

|Insurance, and Interest | |contribute to the economy of the reservation or service area. Qualifications for this program: |

|Subsidy Program (DOI) | |An individually enrolled member of a Federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group |

| | |Corporation with no less than 51% ownership by Federally recognized American Indians or Alaska Natives |

| | |A Federally recognized American Indian Tribe or Alaska Native group. |

| | |For more information, call 202-219-0740 or visit . |

4. HELPFUL RESOURCES/WEBSITES FOR TRIBES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS:

• Centralized website for federal grant opportunities: • Government Information by Topic: .

• Explore U.S. Federal Agency Resources for Native Americans:

• HUD’s PIH Notices to Tribes and TDHEs:

• HUD’s Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities: sustainability.

• Federal Register Today: .

• Environmental Resources

• Grants Available to Tribes on Health Issues

• Resources Available to Tribes on Health Issues

• National Resource Database for Tribal Water System Operators:

• Multi-agency Infrastructure Task Force in Indian Country:

• Asset Building for Native Communities:

• Center for American Indian Economic Development: franke.nau.edu/businessoutreach/caied

• Southern California Indian Center-

• Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Inc.

• Native American Contractors Association:

• CDFIs: Native Capital Access: Native Community Finance:

• National Congress of American Indians: National American Indian Housing Council:

Southwestern States Inter Tribal Councils and Indian Chambers of Commerce

Inter Tribal Council of Arizona:

Inter Tribal Council of California:

Inter Tribal Council of Nevada:

All Pueblo Governors Council (of New Mexico):

American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Arizona

American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California

Southwest Tribal Housing Alliance (SWTHA)

Nevada/California Indian Housing Association

FEDERAL PARTNERS:

• USDA Rural Development

• Rural Utilities Service: High Energy Cost Grant Program (USDA): .

• Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Indian Self-Determination Services

• Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (Native Americans)

• General Services Administration (GSA)

• Indian Health Service (IHS)

IHS Environmental Health Support Center (Training Opportunities)

• Department of Health & Human Services (HRSA)

• Department of Energy's (DOE)Tribal Energy Program

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 Tribal Solid Waste:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 Green Building:

Environmental Protection Agency Office of Sustainable Communities: smartgrowth

• Internal Revenue Service – Tax Information for Indian Tribal Governments:

• Department of Treasury CDFI Fund

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Money Smart materials can be found at moneysmart

• US Department of Commerce - MDBA (Minority Business Development Agency)

Economic Development Administration . Small Business Administration (SBA)

• OCC Native American Banking Resource Directory ics/community-affairs/publications/index-ca-publications.html

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) –

Disaster Preparedness &Recovery

FEMA - Trainings for Tribal representatives & staff.

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Office of Native Affairs & Policy .

• Administration for Native Americans (ANA):

• Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) Training & Events:

• Partnership for Sustainable Communities:

• Sustainable Communities Resource Center – portal/sustainability/resources_rural_sustainability.html

• Social Security Administration - Public website

• SSA’s American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) page

• Dept. of Transportation: Transportation Planning Capacity Building: planning. MAP 21 map21

• Veterans Administration: Native American Direct Loan Program:

VA Office of Tribal Government Relations

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5. BITS & PIECES: Tribal News

|JUSTICE PROGRAM’S NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE WILL SUPPORT 15 AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE STUDENTS TO ATTEND CRIMINAL JUSTICE-RELATED |

|CONFERENCES. |

|To enhance diversity in the field of criminal justice, the U.S. Dept. of Justice will make it possible for Native American students to explore how |

|their educational backgrounds apply to issues of crime and justice. They will meet researchers and practitioners engaged in similar work. |

|Conferences will expose students to innovative and evidence-based scientific and technological solutions to justice issues. Eligibility, |

|application and other crucial program details are available online at: . Deadline for application is April 15, 2020. |

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|2020 Indian Housing Development Handbook: The National American Indian Housing Council has published its 2020 Indian Housing Development Handbook.|

|Download it at: |

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|Udall Native American Congressional Internship applications open: |

|The Native American Congressional Internship gives Native American and Alaska Native students a first-hand look at Federal-Tribal relations and |

|allows them to work on issues important to their communities. This fully-funded, ten-week summer internship in Washington, DC, is open to |

|undergraduate, graduate, and law students. Interns work in congressional and agency offices where they research legislation, meet public officials |

|and Tribal leaders, and network with a strong cohort of Native professionals. The Foundation provides airfare, housing, a living allowance, and a |

|$1,200 educational stipend. Applications due January 31st, 2020 (postmark). For more info., visit |

| or contact Jason Curley, Education Program Manager at Udall Foundation, at |

|curley@, or (520) 901-8564. |

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|The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) 2020 scholarship application cycle for the USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program. The program aims to increase the|

|number of tribal college and university students studying agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, and other agriculture-related disciplines. |

|The USDA program partners with tribally controlled colleges and universities with land-grant status to provide full tuition, fees, books, and |

|workforce training to students pursuing degrees in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or related academic disciplines. The program is |

|available to high school seniors entering their freshman year of college, and current freshman, sophomore, or juniors. General requirements include|

|U.S. citizenship, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and acceptance to, or currently attending a 1994 institution to study agriculture, food, and natural |

|resources. The scholarship is renewable each year and is contingent on satisfactory academic performance and normal progress toward an associates |

|or a bachelor’s degree. Additional requirements are listed in the application package. All application materials must be postmarked by February 09,|

|2020. See the high school application (PDF, 577 KB) and the college application (PDF, 592 KB) for details. For other questions, email |

|1994@. |

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|Opportunity Zones New Mexico offers $1 million bonus to Opportunity Zone projects |

|The State of New Mexico has unveiled an incentive program for Opportunity Zone (OZ) projects and is offering a $1 million bonus to investments that|

|meet certain benchmarks. This $1-million OZ Jobs Bonus shows that Opportunity Zone investments are a key strategy for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham |

|as the state diversifies its economy. The federal tax initiative to stimulate development in lower-income neighborhoods can be a huge catalyst in |

|New Mexico where it can be difficult to attract outside financing. The state of New Mexico has designated 63 Opportunity Zones in 22 counties as |

|part of the U.S. Government’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The purpose of the tax law is to attract capital investment into economically |

|distressed areas in exchange for a reduced tax obligation. “As far as we know, New Mexico is the only state to offer this kind of Opportunity Zone |

|Bonus Program,” said Keyes. “We are doing it because we know this is a once-in-a lifetime chance to reinvigorate rural, aging neighborhoods, and |

|vital infrastructure.“ Under the $1 million OZ Jobs Bonus, the N.M. Economic Development Department will use the existing Local Economic |

|Development Act (LEDA) grant fund to kick in the additional money to Opportunity Zone projects. The initiative must meet LEDA guidelines, be in one|

|of the nine key industry sectors outlined by the Governor, as well as other criteria. For more information, visit or email |

|opportunity.zones@state.nm.us. To Learn More, visit . |

|The Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) offers training, technical and financial assistance, and advocacy for rural and tribal |

|communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. These services assist |

|communities with water and wastewater needs, affordable housing, economic development, and finances. Professionals with a passion for rural |

|communities and experience with water or wastewater facilities can view recently opened positions with RCAC here. Recent listing includes several |

|water and wastewater support positions in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and even Hawaii. |

6. Contact Us: [pic]Southwest Office of Native American Programs (SWONAP) . Join Our Mailing List.

SWONAP’s Main Office (Phoenix)

One North Central Avenue, Suite 600

Phoenix, AZ, 85004-2361

Phone: (602) 379-7200 FAX: (602) 379-3101/3985

Website: offices/pih/ih/codetalk/onap/swonap

SWONAP’s Albuquerque Office

500 Gold Avenue SW, 7th Floor, Suite 7301

PO Box 906, Albuquerque, NM 87103-0906

Phone: (505) 346-6923 FAX: (505) 346-7220

Remember to check codetalk for the latest ONAP news and updates.

Check out our HUD’s new website at

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U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Southwest Office of native American programs

David Southerland, Interim Administrator

HUD’s Mission: To create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.

Information Bulletin of the Southwest Office of Native American Program for the week of January 6, 2020

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HUD recently announced nearly $200 million in grant awards to 52 Native American Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) across the Nation for new housing construction, housing rehabilitation, and critical infrastructure projects. HUD announced the grants during the 2019 National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) Legal Symposium in Las Vegas. These grants are awarded through HUD’s Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program to help construct approximately 1,200

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