The Economic Development Administration announced a $1,466,493 award to the Urban Institute in collaboration with the National American Indian Housing Council, underscoring its dedication to Indigenous economic development.
The EDA provided more than $540 million through President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan to assist Indigenous communities, including federally recognized Tribes, Alaskan Native Villages and public and private sector organizations serving Native Pacific Islanders, in efforts to recover and rebuild from the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Nov. 9 news release.
“President Biden is committed to supporting Indigenous communities, which were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, in their ongoing process of economic recovery,” Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo said, according to the release. “This award will help establish a framework for maximizing the impact of current grants while catalyzing opportunities for future investment.”
The Urban Institute team will create a Community of Practice for existing and future EDA Indigenous grantees as per the provisions of the agreement to increase capacity for project planning and execution, the release reported. Beneficiaries of EDA grant support for initiatives with an Indigenous focus will receive training and technical assistance from the Indigenous Economic Development Community of Practice, starting in fiscal year 2021 and continuing through 2022
The Urban Institute team will also oversee an active research program that analyzes both new and old data to pinpoint the traits of effective EDA grants with an Indigenous focus. To further inform the grant-making and pre-development planning procedures, the research will look for best practices for removing barriers to Indigenous-focused investment, according to the release.
