a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development A new participant has joined the (HUD) program designed to enable the construction of rental housing units. Cherokee Nation.
According to a report, the Cherokee Nation has announced it will participate in HUD’s Section 184 Skilled Worker Demonstration Program. The program will allow Cherokee communities to build multiple rental housing units to serve skilled workers in multiple disciplines. announcement Published by Anadisgoi, the official news platform.
“The HUD program is a financing program that helps organizations hire skilled workers for difficult-to-fill or hard-to-fill positions,” the announcement states. “The Cherokee Nation, the Cherokee Nation Housing Authority, and Cherokee Nation Business have worked together to identify positions in areas such as law enforcement, health care, education, contracting, housing, and the culinary arts.”
They are among the first tribes approved to participate in the program, according to the announcement. According to Cherokee Nation Superintendent Chuck Hoskin Jr., the impact that participation has on the Cherokee community has great potential for positive change.
“This demonstration program has the opportunity to have a significant impact on Cherokee communities that need assistance recruiting skilled and essential workers,” Hoskin Jr. said. “The Cherokee Nation has always prioritized the housing needs of the Cherokee community, and this program is just one example of how we are providing better resources to meet those needs. ”
Skilled workers eligible for this program include law enforcement officers, health care workers, teachers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, carpenters, roofers, cooks, and more.
“Housing provided through this program may be provided to Cherokee Nation employees, nationals of other tribal nations, or non-Indians,” the announcement states. “At the time of the first letting of the property, at least one member of the renter’s household must be employed as a skilled worker and sign the rental agreement.”
They plan to seek additional Section 184 funding to build additional rental units, which they say will help “meet the needs of some of our most critical job recruitment and retention efforts.” they said.
The program’s initial rollout will take place in Ochelata, Oklahoma, where there are 30 needed skilled worker positions, half of which have been vacant “for some time.”
“If successful, this program will be expanded to other regions to alleviate housing needs in multiple communities and provide better resources for human resources teams building the Cherokee workforce,” the announcement said. It is being
