By Jayden Park
Native Americans and Alaska Natives experience the second-highest rate of homelessness of any group in the United States, a disparity rooted not in individual circumstance but in centuries of expropriation of land from Indigenous communities and genocide. This has led to what researchers describe as multi-generational homelessness, where Natives are perpetually trapped in conditions of housing instability and poverty. California’s own Interagency Council on Homelessness has found that homelessness rates within some tribal communities can reach as high as 40%, far above the statewide average, even though mainstream point-in-time counts routinely fail to capture the full scope of unsheltered encampments on and off tribal land.
On June 24, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California would award nearly $38.2 million to support housing and homelessness solutions in Native American communities statewide. The bulk of the funding, $28.5 million, will go to 68 federally recognized tribes through Round 4 of the state’s Tribal Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program (Tribal HHAP), administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). An additional $9.7 million, drawn from voter-approved Proposition 1, will go to the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria through the newer Tribal Homekey+ program to build 22 affordable rental homes in Windsor for people at risk of homelessness.
Tribal HHAP is designed to give tribal governments flexible, culturally responsive funding rather than a one-size-fits-all model, reflecting a broader shift toward government-to-government partnerships that respect tribal sovereignty. The program has since served more than 3,325 people, helped create or renovate 319 permanent housing units, and invested over $34 million in youth homelessness interventions serving more than 758 young people. Under the Newsom administration, the number of tribal governments receiving Tribal HHAP funds has grown 83% since the previous round and 330% since the program’s first round, and since 2019, HCD has made 174 total awards worth nearly $330.3 million to tribal governments.
The recent funding announced by Governor Newsom builds on state efforts to formally recognize and address these disparities. In September 2024, Newsom signed the Tribal Housing Reconstitution and Resiliency Act, creating California’s first dedicated tribal housing grant program and offering technical assistance to help tribal governments navigate complex state regulations. More recently, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness released its first-ever policy brief dedicated to homelessness in tribal communities, which calls for expanded access to housing programs with necessary tribal consultation.
Advocates argue that funding alone will not resolve the disparity, however. A March 2024 report from the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission concluded that ending homelessness in Indigenous communities will ultimately require the allocation of land or physical space for people experiencing homelessness, not just financial resources. Since Native lands are owned and managed by the federal government, this new push has fueled growing interest in the landback movement. Such requests have been met recently, with Governor Newsom returning 136 acres of the California coastline to Indigenous tribes, but more work has yet to be done for rural communities.
Governor Newsom has tied this announcement to a broader statewide trend: last year, California recorded a 9.5% drop in unsheltered homelessness, the state’s first decrease in more than 15 years, even as homelessness continues to rise nationally. Whether Newsom’s investment can help sustain that trend for Native American communities remains an open question, but the speed and scale of this aid mark a dramatic shift towards combating homelessness.
References:
Capital Flows. (2014, March 13). 5 Ways The Government Keeps Native Americans In Poverty. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/03/13/5-ways-the-government-keeps-native-americans-in-poverty/
California Interagency Council on Homelessness. (2025, September). Homelessness in California Tribal Communities: Policy Brief. Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. https://bcsh.ca.gov/calich/documents/tribal_homelessness_policy_brief.pdf
Farr, Daniel. (2026, July 5). Gavin Newsom hands 136 acres of beloved California coastline to Indigenous tribes. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/07/05/us-news/gavin-newsom-hands-136-acres-of-beloved-california-coastline-to-indigenous-tribes/
Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. (2026, June 24). Governor Newsom awards $38.2 million to help tribes expand housing and homelessness solutions. CA.gov. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/06/24/governor-newsom-awards-38-2-million-to-help-tribes-expand-housing-and-homelessness-solutions/
Sundeen, Maria. (2024, November 19). Addressing disparities in housing – Indigenous population solutions. Western Center on Law & Poverty. https://wclp.org/indigenous-homelessness/
The Sacramento Bee. (2026, June 24). California awards nearly $30 million in housing funds to tribes. SacBee.com. https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article316249935.html