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META: We explore the effects of Biden’s $46 million fund on tribal communities in this guide.
Indigenous tribes across the US are about to benefit from a historic bipartisan infrastructure law that includes a $46 million fund for tribal infrastructure, including bridges, roads, housing, and the concept of relocation.
The fund aims to support indigenous communities by building stronger homes that can withstand the severe weather changes and more homes for communities to relocate to when avoiding rising sea levels. It is bound to not only shake up the Indigenous communities across the US but also affect the housing market as a whole.
So, what are the details of this fund? Why is it necessary now? And how can you make sure you get a better deal on relocation? We explore in this guide Biden’s $46 million funds to tribal communities.
What’s happening?
President Joe Biden has announced a $46 million fund as part of a historic five-year investment plan created to improve climate resistance and adaptation of tribal territories.
The aim is to aid indigenous communities particularly affected by rising sea levels and storm surges as climate change continues to damage the planet.
America’s first Indigenous cabinet secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, expressed in a statement that Indigenous people are facing a particular fight when it comes to climate change. These more severe weather situations and the degeneration of the environment pose “existential threats” to tribal infrastructure, economies, and livelihoods.
Some Indigenous communities have already had to relocate due to the changes in the environment, like rising sea levels and storm hot spots. The $46-million fund will be used across the US to replace aging infrastructure, boost community resilience, and provide support for community-driven relocation and adaptation.
When Indigenous culture is linked so closely to the environment and nature, it makes sense that the community is harshly affected by climate change, but even more so, melting glaciers and thawing permafrost are degrading the integrity of critical infrastructures like housing, bridges, and roads.
You can boost things along
There are a lot of things you can do to extend your mortgage borrowing power and hopefully gain a more valuable home that you might have thought was out of your reach. This is especially useful if you’ve seen a home that you might have your heart set on, but it’s just out of your budget. All it takes is another look at your finances with fresh eyes.
The first thing a lender will look at is your income, which doesn’t solely mean your 9-5 salary. In fact, you might be surprised what it covers. Income can mean alimony, child support, social security, money from investments, and income from a side business or part-time job. However, the latter two come with the asterisk that you have to have been earning regularly from them for the past two years.
The next thing that a lender is going to look at is your debt-to-income ratio. The minimum amount that is going to your debt before anything else is going to worry your lender if it is over 36%, so work on bringing it down. You can make things easier with a balance transfer card or an auto loan.
If you are looking for a new home, with the state of the planet and the country at the moment, you might want to look into homeowners’ insurance. Your home’s exterior, interior, and possessions in your home against natural disasters, burglary and vandalism, and personal liability are covered by homeowners insurance. Plus, should your home become unlivable, a temporary home, like an apartment or hotel room, will be covered while your home is rebuilt or refurbished.
Will it help?
It might seem a little like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound, but it’s better than completely ignoring the situation. The Indigenous tribes across the US will greatly advantage from the $46 million funds offered by Biden’s administration, as it is dispersed amongst the communities to either relocate or improve the infrastructure of Indigenous people.
However, it doesn’t address the underlying problem of climate change, which continues to ravage the planet. You can debate what causes of climate change are the highest priority to deal with it but patching over the effects of it isn’t going to work for too much longer.