TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma — The first of the UKB United Keetoowah Band Housing Department's new duplexes began arriving on Monday!
At the May 4 Council Meeting, the Tribal Council voted to use $1.3 million to purchase nine duplex units to house between 18 and 36 elders and veterans. These funds will supplement the tribe’s yearly budget from HUD, which has remained the same over the past five years and limited the Housing Department’s ability to keep up with housing needs.
The Department will use its Elder Low Rent Policy to create a list of applicants eligible for housing in the duplexes. This will ensure applicants are eligible and prepared to meet the terms and conditions of living in an unassisted but supportive elder community. The Department will be working with other departments within the tribe to ensure the entire tribe is invested in our elders and veterans. The Historic Preservation Department will be assisting with the landscaping with traditional plants and flowers; the Roads Department will be assisting with paving and curbs in the near future; Title VI will provide nutritious meals and opportunities for getting together with other Elders; and Lighthorse will provide safety by patrolling and keeping our Elders and Veterans safe.
The mission of the United Keetoowah Band Housing Department (UKBHD) is to provide decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing to income-eligible tribal members and their families. The UKBHD has designated certain properties for exclusive use by tribal elders in order to assure that these properties can be maintained by the Department to accommodate elders’ specific needs and so our elders are able to stay in the community to age in place as long as possible.
This collaboration between the Housing Department and the Tribe creates a united front for addressing tribal members’ inadequate housing. The amount provided by the tribe for purchasing the houses and preparing the land allows the department to use its skills to install the homes. A project of this magnitude can only occur with the support of the tribe, and the department is honored to be able to implement the tribe’s vision of creating safe communities for Keetoowah elders and veterans to age in place. We look forward to working on this together.
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