The South Dakota Housing & Development Authority returned $81.5 million in unused Emergency Rental Assistance funds to the federal government today (March 31, 2022), but Governor Kristi Noem is hoping some of that money comes back to the state.
Noem is asking the Deputy Secretary of the US Department of the Treasury, Adewale Adeyemo, to support returning the funding and asks that almost $18 million of the funds be redirected to three South Dakota tribes. She says South Dakota has the strongest economy of any state in the nation, making the rental assistance from the federal government unnecessary.
“South Dakota has the strongest economy of any state in the nation,” wrote Governor Noem. “Our unemployment rate stands at 2.6%. We are leading the nation in personal income growth. Fewer than 2,500 South Dakotans are receiving unemployment benefits, and there are nearly 30,000 job openings statewide. With our low cost of living, low taxes, and high rate of in-migration to our state, our state’s population – and our GDP – has experienced historic growth over the last two years.”
Noem asked that nearly $18 million of the funds be redirected to South Dakota’s tribes after three of the state’s tribes identified a need for additional assistance for their members. Those needs include:
- $14.6 million to the Oglala Sioux Tribe;
- $1.7 million to the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe; and
- $1.7 million to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.
You can find Governor Noem’s letter here.
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