Shifting the Landscape Through Homeownership - Down Payment Assistance Program Provides over $500,000 to Help Native Families Achieve their Dream of Owning a Home
For over a decade, the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition (SDNHOC) has fought to combat the systemic barriers and inequities preventing Indigenous people and communities from achieving the economic security of homeownership. The Down Payment Assistance Program is a vital part of the Coalition’s mission–providing individuals and families with the resources for taking the final step in purchasing a home.
Since its launch in 2023, the Down Payment Assistance Program has distributed $500,000 to nearly 50 Native families in South Dakota’s tribal communities to support their dream of building equity in their own home.
“With all the challenges facing Native people and families in buying a home–including the challenges of securing traditional financing on trust land and the shortages of homes due to a lack of investment in our communities–being able to cover down payment costs shouldn’t be one of them,” said Kimberly Long Soldier, the Homeownership Program Manager at SNDHOC
“The Down Payment Assistance Program was created to close the affordability gap for Native families in South Dakota who are seeking to achieve homeownership, both on and off reservation. We’re thrilled that we’ve been able to help so many families take this important and life changing step. And we’re committed to growing this program in the years to come–because we know it will support the long term economic wellbeing of our communities.”
To support homeownership, SDNHOC partners closely with its member Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the state–which then work directly with individuals and families in their journey to buying a home. Through that work, the Coalition’s team recognized that, even for families who were well qualified to get a mortgage, gathering the assets to cover down payment costs presented a significant barrier. They presented their case to a group of key foundations–including the Wells Fargo Foundation, Partners for Rural Transformation, and the Northwest Area Foundation–and launched the DPA Program to foster pathways to sustainable homeownership.
Since the program’s launch, the Coalition’s team, led by Kimberly, have worked tirelessly to get down payment funds to Native families taking steps toward homeownership. While typically applicants need to apply at least two weeks before their closing date, the team has repeatedly gone the extra mile to support those with urgent needs who just learned about the program and only have a few days to spare. And beyond just distributing funds, Kim works to connect personally with program participants–from walking them through the application process to celebrating their accomplishment once their closing is complete.
We purchased our home this past Fall with financing support from Four Bands and Lakota Funds, both member organizations of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition. The funds we received from the downpayment assistance program reduced our loan principal, making it more affordable for our family. In addition, the purchase of our new home enabled our family to move back to the community where we have generational roots. We are grateful for this opportunity and would like to express our deepest gratitude.
–Ethan, Heidi, Jax, and Jayna Cuny
The DPA Program has represented a major milestone in the Coalition’s work to drive Native homeownership forward. In 2024 alone, the program:
- Supported $8.9 million in loans, with a total purchase price of $7.8 million
- Brought homeownership within reach for nearly 50 families long excluded from the market
- Increased homeownership for Native families in diverse tribal nations–including on the Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River, Rosebud and Standing Rock Reservations–as well as for families living in non-reservation urban and rural areas.
The data reveals the program’s impact. Yet it’s the stories of individual families that have achieved their dream of homeownership that remain in the minds of the Coalition’s team. Kimberly worked closely with an elder, a grandmother, who cares full-time for her grandson and wanted to purchase a home. She shared with Kimberly how happy she was that her grandson gets to have his own room and a place to truly call home.
“The SDNHOC DPA Program is a key driver in the state for eliminating roadblocks for Native Americans on the path to homeownership. It complements our asset-building programs and increases our clients liquid assets which in turn increases their resilience. With the DPA program, we are one step closer to closing the racial income gap.”
–Lakota Vogel, Four Bands Community Fund, CDFI
Big thanks to our sponsor for supporting the path to native homeownership!
Policy Committee Visits Washington, DC to Meet South Dakota Delegation
Coalition’s Policy Committee Travels to Washinton, DC to Meet with South Dakota Congressional Delegation.
Members of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition’s Policy Committee traveled to Washington, DC on February 3-7, 2025 to join the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) Legislative Conference. Eric Shepherd, executive director of Sisseton Wahpeton Housing Authority, and Joe Shields, executive director of Crow Creek Housing Authority, also attended meetings with the South Dakota Congressional delegation to share housing and homeownership priorities for their communities. Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Chairman Peter Lengkeek and Crow Creek Housing Authority board member Brenda Sauze accompanied the group. Chairman Lengkeek was invited to deliver the opening prayer at the NAIHC meeting.
The group attended meetings with the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Bryan Mercier to discuss the need for streamlining the residential leasing and mortgage approval processes. Coalition members Juel Burnette from 1st Tribal Lending, April Anderson from Four Bands Community Fund, and Sharon Vogel, executive director of Cheyenne River Housing Authority, participated in the meeting remotely.
Other highlights included a meeting with staff from Senator John Thune’s office, where the group learned that Senator Thune will be reintroducing the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act, which will help to modernize BIA’s leasing and mortgage processes. They also met with Representative Dusty Johnson, who assured the group that he was educating his House colleagues about Tribal sovereignty, trust responsibility, and treaty obligations to help them to understand that Tribal nations should not be subject to DEI Executive Orders that were announced by President Trump.
They also met with Senator Mike Rounds to thank him for his support of the Native American Direct Loan Reform Act, which was enacted last December. In addition, they discussed the Senator’s plans to continue to work on rural housing reform legislation that would include authorizing language for the USDA 502 Native CDFI relending program. The group also recommended that any tax legislation that Congress considers during the budget reconciliation process should include provisions to stimulate economic development through better access to tax credits in Indian Country including New Markets Tax Credits, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and the ability for tribal governments to issue tax exempt bonds.
Finally, the group participated in a briefing for staff members from the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs about Native homeownership issues. The Coalition’s policy committee, which is chaired by Sharon Vogel and JC Crawford, will continue to monitor Executive Branch actions from the Trump Administration and legislative activities to keep Coalition members informed about any policies that may impact their work.