JUNEAU, AK (August 16, 2021) – The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) is pleased to announce the launch of the Rescue Relief Household program. The new direct relief assistance program is funded under the Tribe’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to assist tribal citizens who have been economically impacted by the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Rescue Relief Household program provides a one-time financial assistance grant of $1,000 per tribal citizen within an eligible United States (U.S.) household (some exceptions apply). All impacted tribal citizens who are U.S. citizens and reside in the United States are eligible to apply, including households who previously received funding under the CARES Act Need-Based programs. The program will remain open through December 2024 or until all funds are disbursed. The financial assistance is not a per-capita distribution and therefore is non-taxable and also qualifies as a general welfare exclusion.
“This additional relief assistance program is in direct response to the needs of our tribal citizens who have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” shared President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson. “With a larger staff support base for the Rescue Relief Household program and Finance department, we are in a much better position to process applications and payments more timely to ensure the critical relief assistance gets to our tribal citizens quickly.”
Based on guidance from the United States Department of Treasury and the number of eligible tribal citizens who received assistance under the Tribe’s CARES Act Need-Based programs between September 2020-June 2021, Tlingit & Haida is able to establish our tribal citizens are economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This information allows Tlingit & Haida to simplify the application process and reduce the amount of information collected from tribal citizens to substantiate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The application will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
If you are an Elder or do not have access to the internet, eligibility technicians are available by appointment only to complete applications over the phone. For more information on the Rescue Relief Household program, please call 907.463.7711 or email rescuerelief@ccthita-nsn.gov.
In addition to the press release announcing the new program, a postcard will be sent by postal mail to every tribal citizen household with a valid mailing address in the United States. To learn more about the Rescue Relief Household program or to complete the application online, click the link below.
