Chicago City Wire

On April 28, 2023, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, heard from six tribal representatives about the housing, transportation, and infrastructure challenges tribal communities are experiencing across the country. Currently, American Indians and Alaska Natives face some of the worst housing and transportation conditions in the United States. Republican’s proposed funding cuts would reduce the Native American Housing Block Grants to its lowest level since the grants were implemented. Quigley expressed concern about these cuts and specifically highlighted the urgent need to improve transportation infrastructure on Tribal lands. Quigley’s questions came during a hearing held by the THUD Subcommittee on the FY 2024 federal budget.

Video of Quigley’s opening remarks at the hearing is available HERE. Video of Quigley’s questions for the witnesses is available HERE.

Quigley’s opening remarks as prepared for delivery are available below:

Thank you, Chairman and welcome to all of the witnesses.

Mr. Chairman, I want to extend my appreciation to you for convening a diverse panel of experts today. I also just want to say how impressed I have been by your commitment to tribal issues as it relates to our THUD bill. Tribal communities are fortunate to have such a strong advocate in you, ensuring Congress focuses on the challenges they face. It has been very educational for me and I look forward to continuing to learn today.

There is much to learn about the needs of Tribal communities – not only related to basic housing and infrastructure – but how the lack of modern and resilient housing and transportation systems impact the lives of Native Americans.

According to a 2017 HUD report, between 42 thousand and 85 thousand Native Americans live with family or friends out of necessity, are unhoused, or live places not meant for long-term shelter. At that time it was also estimated that 68 thousand units of new affordable housing were needed to replace substandard or overcrowded housing. A need that has likely increased over the last 6 years.

I can only imagine the compounding effects this has on the daily lives of children, the elderly, and disabled.

According to the Department of Transportation, Tribes have also faced prolonged disinvestment in transportation infrastructure – 60 percent of roads on Tribal lands are unpaved and there are a disproportionate number of roadway fatalities.

To know that a Native American child is less likely to return home from school because of a roadway accident compared to their non-native counterparts is devastating and unacceptable.

More can and must be done to improve the safety and livelihood of these communities.  

We are here today to understand how this subcommittee can better address the existing and emerging needs of Tribal communities. We also how to hear about lessons learned that we can apply to programs at HUD and DOT.

Your experiences and knowledge are invaluable to this understanding.

Again, thank you all for being here today and a special thank you to Doctor Wesaw for traveling from the Midwest to share your perspective, which will be influential to my understanding of Tribal issues in and around my district.

I look forward to hearing your testimonies.

Original source can be found here.