The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act offers a unique opportunity to invest in improvements to Indian communities that enhance the long-term economic development potential and promote near-term economic recovery. The $500 million allocated to the Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education will repair and upgrade Indian schools and detention centers, construct reservation housing, provide for road and bridge maintenance, spur economic development, and train a workforce with viable skills that can be used now and in the future.

For more information on projects being completed around the country, view the complete Indian Affairs Project List.

For more information on recent project changes and substitutions, view the Project Changes List.

Indian Affairs programs funded through the Department of the Interior’s ARRA investments include:

$277.7 million has been allocated to school repairs and construction on tribal lands.

$142.5 million has been allocated to help maintain roads and bridges.

Housing Improvement Program (HIP) – $19 million

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Housing Improvement Program (HIP) will fund construction of new homes for eligible Indian families. Funds will be directed to tribes that not only have a considerable number of HIP eligible applicants and high unemployment, but also have demonstrated capability to meet the aggressive hiring and construction time frames required by the Recovery Act. The resources will promote a fundamental objective of the Bureau’s Housing Improvement Program: improving the living conditions of eligible Indian people and creating jobs in the Indian communities.

Workforce Training – $5.7 million

Indian Affairs will implement intensive training programs in the construction trades to equip unemployed and underemployed Indian trainees with job skills needed to participate in other Recovery Act construction and infrastructure development activities. In the long-term, the skills gained will enable these individuals to establish careers in the construction trades and/or start small businesses on reservations.

Construction Workforce On-the-Job Training in Maintenance – $13.3 million

Indian Affairs will provide on-the-job training for unemployed or underemployed Indian individuals while accomplishing annual maintenance on federal government facilities. The facilities include Bureau buildings, detention centers, employee quarters, and other support facilities. Because this work is labor intensive, it is estimated that 75 percent of the funds will go towards salary expenses with the balance being used to procure the necessary materials within the community thus turning those dollars over to the local communities.

Road Maintenance – $142.5 million

Recovery Act funds will be utilized by the BIA’s Road Maintenance program for the maintenance and repair of roads and bridges that are the responsibility of the Secretary of the Interior. The primary objective is to move roads from fair condition to good and excellent condition over the next two years.

School Replacement Construction – $134.6 million

Recovery funds will provide for replacement of existing deteriorated Bureau-funded schools in a pre-established priority order published in the Federal Register.

School Improvement and Repairs – $143.1 million

Recovery Act funds will be used to repair building structure and system components that are necessary to sustain and prolong the useful life of Bureau-funded education buildings. Projects to be funded have been identified to improve the safety and functionality of facilities and improve the educational environment for the Indian children that attend those facilities.

Detention Center Maintenance and Repairs – $7.3 million

The Public Safety and Justice construction program will implement major improvement and repair projects at detention facilities in the Bureau’s inventory. Projects will focus on repairs and renovations to correct critical health and safety deficiencies, and to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements and other safety code requirements.

Indian Guaranteed Loan Program – $9.5 million

With the large number of on-going repair, maintenance and construction projects, opportunities to establish or expand Indian-owned businesses will be significant. Indian Affairs Loan Guarantee Program will be utilized to assist Indian entrepreneurs to get the capital needed to start or grow small-to-medium sized businesses to take advantage of these opportunities.

Administrative Costs – $25 million

An additional $25 million for administrative costs associated with the contracting, awarding, tracking, monitoring, reporting, and oversight of fund expenditures will be placed in a separate account from project funding to maintain transparency and control of such costs. The Indian Affairs projects were selected in a rigorous merit-based process based on the longstanding priorities of the agency.