Tribal Council voted unanimously on September 20th to pass 2023-RES-096, a declaration of a state of emergency due to the homelessness crisis that has been impacting tribal members. There are a significant amount of unhoused tribal members on Wampanoag ancestral lands, and the issue has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and a decrease in the number of available, affordable homes on Cape Cod.

The MWT Housing Department aids 60-70 homeless tribal members per month; however, the crisis remains an urgent issue as long as these tribal members continue to be unhoused.

According to Chairman Weeden, the hope is that declaring a state of emergency can “help us to get more federal funds and grants to eventually structure our own tribal housing authority through the tribe’s Housing Department”.

The resolution formally acknowledges that Tribal Council wants to work with the town of Mashpee and the Cape Cod Commission on housing production plans, requesting that tribal preferences be included to ensure that the housing needs of tribal members are adequately addressed.

They also plan to continue supporting the MWT Housing Department in its efforts to provide assistance and support to homeless tribal members. This includes working collaboratively with local, regional, state, and federal agencies and organizations to find viable solutions to address Tribal homelessness.