The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs received a significant boost for its housing programs this fall when U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the Warm Springs Housing Authority had been awarded approximately $5 million in federal grant funding to construct new affordable homes on the reservation.
The award is part of a combined $9.9 million package from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with the remainder going to the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. The announcement came September 9, with both Oregon senators crediting the investment as an overdue step toward addressing tribal housing needs.
"It's critical that Tribal families have affordable, safe places to live that will foster community and connect them to their land," Senator Merkley said. "This nearly $10 million in federal funding will help Tribes work to overcome their affordable housing challenges."
A Longstanding Need
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs encompasses approximately 4,000 enrolled members and a reservation spanning roughly 640,000 acres in north-central Oregon — one of the largest reservations in the Pacific Northwest. Despite that land base, affordable housing has been a chronic challenge for the community for decades.
Like many tribal nations, Warm Springs has faced a combination of underfunding, aging housing stock, and a growing population that has outpaced available units. Waitlists for tribal housing have stretched long, and families have sometimes had to leave the reservation to find stable housing.
HUD's Indian Community Development Block Grant Program
The funding flows through HUD's Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program, which specifically supports housing construction, infrastructure, and community development projects in Native American and Alaska Native communities. The program is one of the primary federal tools for addressing housing needs in Indian Country.
The Warm Springs Housing Authority administers housing programs on the reservation and will oversee the planning and construction of the new units. Specific details — including the number of homes to be built and the construction timeline — had not been finalized publicly at the time of the announcement.
Broader Economic Momentum
The housing grant arrives as the Confederated Tribes navigate a broader season of economic planning. As reported earlier this week, Warm Springs Enterprises recently projected nearly $12 million in dividends for 2027 community services — a sign of strengthening tribal business operations that fund programs across the reservation.
Together, the federal housing investment and improving enterprise revenues point toward a period of meaningful investment in Warm Springs infrastructure — one that will shape life on the reservation for years to come.