The BHBH Program tribal entities rounds offer funding to support the operation of bridge housing facilities in California, aimed at meeting the urgent housing needs of individuals in Tribal communities who are experiencing homelessness and facing serious behavioral health challenges. As the state with the largest population of American Indians and Alaska Natives, California has a significant and ongoing need for new housing across its Tribal land. Research reveals that 60 percent of California Tribes identify homelessness and access to stable housing as critical challenges within their communities, with serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorder (SUD) further complicating efforts to exit homelessness and achieve long-term housing stability.
The BHBH Track 1 Planning Grant for Tribes and tribal entities is intended to facilitate engagement and community conversations to plan for meeting the immediate housing needs of Tribal communities, while the Track 2 Implementation Grant is intended to launch and operate behavioral health bridge housing programs. To date, the BHBH Program has released two rounds of funding for eligible California Tribes and tribal entities. Please see below and the funding opportunities page for more information.
Through Rounds 2 and 2B, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) awarded over $50 million of BHBH Program funding to tribal entities for use in the planning and implementation of bridge housing in Tribal communities. Through Round 2, DHCS awarded over $30 million in funds to nine Tribal entities in 2023. Through Round 2B, over $20 million in funds were awarded to seven additional Tribal entities in 2024.
The map below provides information for each of the 16 participating tribal entities in the BHBH Program. This includes award amounts, services funded, and program contact information. “Bed counts per funding category” reflect the total number of beds that will be in operation over the grant period. New beds created through infrastructure funds are also noted. Not all grantees have allocations in all categories. For program-level data, please see the BHBH Program Data Dashboard.
How to use the map: Click on any county or pin, or select a tribal entity from the dropdown menu to find information related to funding, services, and contact information. You can also see which grantees have funding in one or more categories in the list of services by deselecting All and choosing the relevant category or categories. Questions about the interactive map should be sent to the BHBH Program Help Desk.
Homelessness in Tribal Communities
The primary focus of the BHBH Program is to help those experiencing homelessness who have serious behavioral health conditions that prevent them from accessing help and moving out of homelessness. California is home to the largest population of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the nation—approximately 720,000 individuals. Research documents a large, unmet need for new homes throughout California’s Tribal lands, resulting in overcrowding and substandard housing. Sixty percent of California Tribes cite homelessness and accessibility to stable housing as challenges in their communities. SMI and SUD can significantly increase obstacles to exiting homelessness and establishing housing stability.
Disparities Affecting Tribal Communities
Historic systemic imbalances continue to create disparities for Native American Tribes, among them the fact that over 60 percent of Native American communities have no access to high-speed internet, which severely limits their ability to access education, employment, healthcare, and other essential services. Because of historical community trauma responses, Native American communities are highly vulnerable to mental illness. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that Native Americans have the highest rates of SUD in the United States, more than any other ethnicity.
Tribal people have a cultural need to be close to their traditional homelands—separation from family and culture frequently compounds symptoms of mental illness and substance use. Overcrowded, multigenerational housing setups are common among Tribal communities because of the general lack of access to affordable housing. There is a clear need for services, facilities, and housing to be closer to traditional homelands in the interest of communities’ systemic wellness.
DHCS’s 2019 report, “Addressing the Opioid Crisis in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities in California: A Statewide Needs Assessment,” listed barriers to treatment that included unstable housing, fragmented service delivery, and a lack of residential treatment facilities for SUD. The report’s recommendations—providing culturally centered services, maintaining resiliency in the community, and emphasizing cultural connectedness— can lead to healing an individual’s spiritual, mental, and physical strength.