[Ketchikan, Alaska] Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) is pleased to announce that it has been selected to receive a $3.9 million Climate Resiliency Grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The Tribe will use the resources for the installation of the water infrastructure necessary to develop new affordable housing developments for Tribal citizens.

“Receiving this grant allows KIC’s Housing Authority to secure water for this future development which is  the first step in the journey to  providing more affordable housing options for our Tribal citizens in Ketchikan,” said Housing Director Myrna Chaney, “As a bonus, the location of the development will address some of the risks posed by changes in the climate in the future.”

As KIC prepares to meet future housing needs of its Tribal members, plans to develop several large parcels of land with a significant number of new affordable housing units are in progress. However, due to the high-elevation location of the planned development, the properties lack access to a suitable drinking water source that provides adequate pressure for domestic use and firefighting. This grant will fund the construction of a 750,000-gallon water reservoir and establish the water distribution infrastructure required to serve the new homes and ensure public safety. 

This investment in KIC’s water system infrastructure will also help the Tribe address the increasing risk of flooding in lower elevations due to climate change. By developing Tribal housing further inland and at higher elevations, KIC seeks to mitigate the increasing risk of flooding in lower elevations due to sea level rise, severe storms, and extreme precipitation events.

“I’m excited that KIC has received such an important grant. This project is an important first step in our commitment to help alleviate the housing shortage Ketchikan is experiencing,” stated KIC President Norm Skan. “I want to thank our staff for their tireless efforts to meet the needs of our community and our Tribe. “ 

This significant investment in the Tribe’s water system infrastructure will allow KIC to proceed with plans to construct much-needed, climate-resilient affordable housing for Tribal members. Once started, the project is anticipated to be completed over 2 years.

The second largest Tribe in the state of Alaska, Ketchikan Indian Community’s 6,500+ Tribal citizens are descendants of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian, as well as Aleut and many other tribal nations. Ketchikan Indian Community incorporated in 1940 under the Indian Reorganization Act and is now a federally recognized Indian Tribe and a sovereign nation. Ketchikan Indian Community’s mission is to enhance and protect the interests of the Tribe and its Tribal citizens; to assist our Tribal members in becoming self-sufficient through the provision of socioeconomic services; and to enrich and uphold our cultural heritage and traditional way of life.

  bia, climate, grant, kic, tribe