TAHLEQUAH – The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation has been awarded a $500,000 grant through the FHLBank Topeka’s Native American Housing Initiatives Grants Program.
The grant will be used for the construction of two homes with 30-year, lease-to-own contracts in the Galitsode addition in Tahlequah.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Housing Authority Executive Director Todd Enlow celebrated the check presentation with FHLBank’s CEO Jeff Kuzbel and other FHLBank staff March 20 in Tahlequah.
“We are in the midst of a housing crisis that spans the country,” Hoskin said. “We find ourselves in this region with a $1.75 billion housing deficit. The Cherokee Nation certainly can’t fix all of the housing insecurities that are being experienced, but we can’t wait around on the United States to close this gap. That’s why we partner with groups like FHLBank and their partner, Chickasaw Community Bank, for these housing opportunities, which are helping us face this housing issue head on.”
The Cherokee Nation permanently reauthorized its historic Housing, Jobs, and Sustainable Communities Act in 2024, setting aside $40 million from the tribe’s business revenue every three years to help address housing and community facility needs.
The Cherokee Nation’s Galitsode Housing Addition in Tahlequah is made up of 24 homes, with two more on their way, on 23 acres of land. The houses are between 1,745 and 1,844 square feet, each with a two-car garage. The neighborhood playground and nearly two miles of sidewalks are funded through Cherokee Nation’s Public Health and Wellness Fund Act.
“Native American communities have sizeable housing needs and are severely underfunded across the country,” Kuzbel said. “Two years ago, we started out with a million-dollar commitment, unsure of how this would go. Now, our funding has grown to over $8.3 million, providing support to federally recognized tribes and tribal housing entities in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The need for affordable housing in Oklahoma and especially here in Cherokee County is extremely urgent. We encourage you to use the funding and address the issues as you see fit for Cherokee nation citizens.”
Homes in the Galitsode addition and other additions constructed by the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation are managed under the New Construction Home Ownership program which provides a path to subsidized home ownership for Cherokee Nation citizens. Homes in those additions give preference to citizens who have pending applications for the program but do not own their own land.
