"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - CN Plans to Unify Housing Programs

TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Cherokee Nation has announced a plan to unify its housing programs to provide an even higher level of service to its citizens. The plan, endorsed by Principal Chief Chad Smith and many members of the Tribal Council, will transition the remaining housing functions from the Cherokee Nation’s housing authority and consolidate them within the government.

“Most people give the credit or complaints about housing services to the Cherokee Nation, but in reality we have very little input about the day-to-day functioning of the Housing Authority,” said Tribal Council Member Cara Cowan-Watts, representing District 7. “It only makes sense that if people think we operate the housing programs, that we actually do operate them within the Cherokee Nation government structure, just like we do with health care, or education or our other programs.”

The Cherokee Nation currently operates eighteen of 25 housing programs, with the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation operating the other seven. By unifying the housing programs under one management structure, the plan’s proponents hope to see the additional funds spent on direct housing services.

“The idea of having a housing authority that does all these services without answering to the Cherokee people is really a thing of the past,” said Tribal Council Member Bradley Cobb, representing District 8. “Decades ago, the federal government wouldn’t let tribes administer their own housing programs, but now we can and we should. Other tribes have consolidated their housing programs and it works well. We should have done this a long time ago.”

"I am looking forward to streamlining and improving the process by which our Nation's social services programs are administered,” said Tribal Council Member Chris Soap, representing District 6. “This move brings numerous programs under one umbrella, which should improve accountability, efficiency, and foster cohesive collaboration among the various assistance programs which are serviced thru the Cherokee Nation."

In the past year, the Cherokee Nation and Housing Authority combined to help more than 300 Cherokee families purchase their own homes, and helped thousands of other Cherokee families with rental assistance, housing rehabilitation and many other services.

“We expect more of our citizens to get services under this plan,” said Tribal Council Member Janelle Fullbright, representing District 3. “I’ve had citizens tell me they have had to wait for years for assistance with a home. We have the responsibility to our citizens to provide these services ourselves.”

The plan calls for a smooth transition of services before April of next year, with every effort being made to find employment for current Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation staff who want to continue working, either in the housing programs as they move to the Cherokee Nation, in other jobs at Cherokee Nation or outside employment. The Cherokee Nation will also offer early retirement to long-time employees who don’t want to make a transition late in their careers.

“We want this to be as comfortable as possible for employees while still making the change to provide the best possible services to our people,” said Tribal Council Member Jack Baker, representing the At Large district.

Under the plan, housing services will still be offered at regional offices throughout the Cherokee Nation. Currently, those services are offered in Sallisaw, Owasso, Claremore, Tahlequah and Jay.

“This plan will only add to the availability of services,” said Tribal Council Member Don Garvin, representing District 4. “While the name on the door might change, the types of services and the places where people can go to access them won’t change. The object is to provide even better housing services to our citizens, and this plan will do that.”

The plan is similar to the housing structure used at the Chickasaw Nation, which has unified housing programs with the tribal government but continued the state-chartered housing authority with a minimal staff of fewer than five people.

“The plan is really the best of both worlds,” said Tribal Council Member Buel Anglen, representing District 8. “We can exercise our authority as a government but still keep the advantages that state-chartered housing authorities have as well.”

“I think the Cherokee people want their housing programs to be accountable and they want them to be high quality,” said Anglen. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this plan will do that.”

The plan will be considered as part of a budget modification at the Executive and Finance Committee of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council on November 29. Tribal Council members Janelle Fullbright, Chris Soap, Jack Baker, Bradley Cobb, Don Garvin, Cara Cowan-Watts, Harley Buzzard, Curtis Snell, Meredith Frailey and Buel Anglen have signed on as sponsors of the plan.