Spokane Tribe receives HUD grant to rebuild homes damaged in last summer’s fire

The Spokane Tribe has received a $450,000 federal grant to help the tribe rebuild houses destroyed or damaged in last summer’s Cayuse Mountain Fire.

About 14 homes were in the path of the Aug. 24 fire, which burned more than 18,000 acres on the reservation.

Many of the homes were not insured. Since the homes were on wells, the pumps stopped working when the electricity was cut off and homeowners couldn’t defend their property.

The $450,000 grant is from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant will completely rebuild seven homes and provide limited funds to assist in rebuilding four additional homes. All of the homes are occupied by low-income residents.

The Spokane Tribe was recently selected as one of 22 Promise Zones, poverty areas in urban, rural and tribal communities where federal agencies work with local leaders to boost economic activity and job growth, improve educational opportunities, reduce crime and leverage private investment to improve the quality of life.

One focus of the Spokane Tribe’s Promise Zone activities is to improve infrastructure, including water systems and communications, that will help to mitigate the risk of future wildfires.