“Friend of Housing Award” Goes to Elsie Meeks

First-Ever Native American Recipient of Award

South Dakota Housing Development Authority (SDHDA) awarded Elsie Meeks with the “Friend of Housing” award during SDHDA’s 25th Annual Housing Conference held earlier this week in Pierre. Ms. Meeks was honored for her dedication and contribution to affordable housing in South Dakota. She has used innovation and determination to ensure that all South Dakotans have access to safe and affordable housing.

“Elsie was chosen as the recipient of the Friend of Housing Award by being a true leader and by not being afraid to fight for what is right,” said Mark Lauseng, Executive Director of SDHDA. “She serves as a valuable resource to our state on a variety of housing related issues and is always up for a challenge.”

Meeks has had a career of “firsts” and a long string of innovative successes promoting affordable housing. She helped South Dakota make national history through the first ever low-income housing tax credit project to be financed on tribal land and she was the first Native American to serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. In addition, Meeks also brought together key representatives from the South Dakota Housing Development Authority, Governor’s Office, Rural Development and the Department of Tribal Relations to form the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition to work together to ensure that housing programs effectively reach Native communities and increase Native homeownership rates.

Ms. Meeks’ career includes over 20 years of experience working to promote economic and community development first as the president/CEO of First Nations Oweesta Corporation and then as the state director of USDA Rural Development.

Even in her retirement, Ms. Meeks remains committed and dedicated to promoting affordable housing. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, executive committee member of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition, chairperson of the Board of Directors of Lakota Funds and a member of the Board of Directors of the Northwest Area Foundation.

The Friend of Housing Award was started 16 years ago to recognize individuals and/or companies who are instrumental in providing affordable housing in South Dakota. Annually, SDHDA accepts nominations for the award and announces the recipient at their annual housing conference.


Loan Office Serves Native Americans

As printed in the Argus Leader…

Juel Burnette left Wells Fargo & Co. last year after a 23-year career with a specific focus as the Sioux Falls branch manager of 1st Tribal Lending.

“We’re a mortgage company that’s focusing on providing home loans and homeownership opportunities to Native Americans on and off the reservation nationwide,” Burnette said.

Burnette wasn’t alone. The other three loan officers are former Wells Fargo employees, all of whom have years of experience working together in lending to Native Americans.

The office of 1st Tribal Lending, a division of Mid America Mortgage, is at 1300 W. 57th St.

“The beauty of this was our clientele came with us I think due to experience, so we didn’t have a big loss there,” said loan officer Eric Sprenkle. “The tribes, they reached out to us and wanted to continue to do business with us. They have a trust in us … because of that experience we have.”

The Sioux Falls branch of 1st Tribal Lending is the easternmost branch for the lender, which specializes in using the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program. Other branches are in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Oklahoma.

The program was created in 1992 as a way to remedy the lack of home loans to Native Americans.

“There weren’t a lot of lenders out there that were participating in bringing mortgage capital to Indian Country, specifically on the reservation,” Burnette said, “so this was the government’s way of trying to entice lenders to open up their doors.”

The program enables lenders to give loans for land held in tribal trusts and allows lenders to give loans not just to tribal members but also to tribes and tribal housing authorities.

“It’s unique in that way that it’s the only program that allows a non-individual to be the borrower,” Burnette said. “We’ve done several projects for tribes and tribal housing authorities, so they can provide homes to their tribal membership also. They typically do that to help those families that aren’t quite ready today or if they just want to build on their current rental stock they have or add to it.”

And Native Americans don’t need to live on tribal lands to take advantage of the program.

“It’s open up to the entire state of South Dakota, and there’s some misconception about that because a lot of lenders and tribal members think you have to be on the reservation in order use the program, and that’s not the case,” Sprenkle said. “If you’re a Native American here in Sioux Falls, you can utilize the program.

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Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe Showcases Successful Models to Increase Native American Homeownership

Approximately 100 federal and state agencies, tribal entities, policy makers, lenders, tribal enterprises, and nonprofit organizations gathered at Sisseton Wahpeton College to discuss homeownership as a solution to the long-standing housing shortages that Indian reservations face. While homeownership in mainstream America has become a greater challenge following the mortgage crisis in 2008, it has always been perceived as an elusive dream for those that reside on Indian reservations.

During her video address in the welcoming remarks of the event, Senator Heidi Hietkamp acknowledged these challenges and commended the Coalition for its work.

Although achieving homeownership on a reservation is a complex puzzle, it is not impossible. Groups like the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition that facilitated the Sisseton convening are working to put the pieces together. The meeting focused on the successful homeownership efforts of T Yamni Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and provided models for other reservation communities to follow.

T Yamni regularly works with over 20 partner organizations to help make homeownership possible for tribal members. The organization is considered a leader in the Native homeownership field, and has help many tribal members navigate the path toward homeownership. As part of the convening, attendees toured the recently completed Long Hollow subdivision that is comprised of approximately 10 single-family homes.

Convening attendees engaged in dynamic and solution-oriented dialogue on potential ways to remove barriers to homeownership. Solutions discussed included:

  • Risk Mitigation Partnership: To encourage more lending and investment from financial institutions, a pool of funds would be created by the tribe. Funds would be used to purchase a home in the event that it should go into foreclosure. This would essentially be a loan guarantee program established by the tribe, and it would also ensure that homes on tribal land stay within tribal membership.
  • Land Bank Inventory: To streamline the lease process, the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate is developing a plan to inventory all trust land on the reservation. This would provide them with the ability to easily identify areas or parcels that would be available as home sites, rather than going through such a long and arduous process for each individual homeowner.


Coalition to Launch Native Housing Needs Studies Project

With support from the South Dakota Governor’s Office and the South Dakota Housing Development Authority, the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition will be facilitating housing needs studies (Studies) in two small tribal communities in South Dakota.

These Studies will be designed to aide community members and decision makers in developing a meaningful sense of the housing market in their community and play an important role in effective planning for future housing efforts. The study for each community will include the following data elements: existing housing stock, housing issues, homeownership information, information on housing providers and programs, potential barriers to homeownership, demographics, economics, and recommendations.

In facilitating these housing needs studies, the Coalition will identify two tribal communities to be assessed through an application process, and select an experienced firm to carry out the assessments through a competitive proposal process. Work to conduct these Studies will start by October 1, 2015, and Studies will be completed by March 31, 2016.

 

More Information for Tribal Communities

Under the program guidelines, eligible tribal communities must have a population of 10,000 or less.  The size of the community/reservation will determine whether one specific community or the broader reservation will be assessed. If selected, the tribal community must designate at least one staff member to dedicate sufficient time and attention to the assessment.

Each selected community will be required to cover 50% of the cost of each study, up to $10,000. There are no restrictions on the source of funds; however, funds must be provided in cash by October 1, 2015.

To apply, interested communities should submit completed applications according to the guidelines stated in the application package by September 1, 2015.

Download Application Package

More Information for Tribal Communities

Under the program guidelines, eligible tribal communities must have a population of 10,000 or less.  The size of the community/reservation will determine whether one specific community or the broader reservation will be assessed. If selected, the tribal community must designate at least one staff member to dedicate sufficient time and attention to the assessment.

Each selected community will be required to cover 50% of the cost of each study, up to $10,000. There are no restrictions on the source of funds; however, funds must be provided in cash by October 1, 2015.

To apply, interested communities should submit completed applications according to the guidelines stated in the application package by September 1, 2015.

Download Request for Proposals

Questions

The Coalition will be accepting questions regarding the application for assessment and the Request for Proposal from August 1 – 15, 2015. Questions will be submitted and answered through an open and transparent platform on our website.

Please submit questions through the Comments platform below, and be sure to state whether your question is for the application or the Request for Proposal. All questions will be fielded and answered through the Comments platform within 48 hours.


Coalition Hosts Meetings with Contractors to Foster Increased Building

On March 10 and June 3, 2015 the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition met with contractors on the Pine Ridge Reservation to explore how to support contractors’ efforts to build more homes.  Suggested tools and strategies from these meetings included:

  • providing sample construction contracts and agreements
  • developing model building codes
  • looking into conducting an inspector certification training
  • mapping out the construction process for potential homebuyers

At the June 3 meeting, Juel Burnette of 1st Tribal Lending also shared information on HUD/ONAP contractor “validation” requirements.


Twenty-five Practitioners Become Certified as Homebuyer Education Instructors

On May 27 – 29, 2015, twenty-five homeownership practitioners attended a three-day homebuyer education instructor certification training in Pierre, South Dakota.  The in-depth training focused on homebuyer education for Native communities. Through the session, participants became certified to teach Pathways Home homebuyer education classes in their communities.

 

The training was sponsored by the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition, in partnership with GROW South Dakota and its RCDI Initiative.  Additional support was provided by 1st Tribal Lending, Wells Fargo, and Dacotah Bank.  The training was facilitated by the National American Indian Housing Council in partnership with Seven Sisters Community Development Group.


Coalition Facilitates Workshop at SD Indian Business Conference in Deadwood

On May 19, 2015, the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition facilitated a workshop at the SD Indian Business Conference on the “Intersections between Homeownership Development and Entrepreneurship.”  Elsie Meeks moderated the discussion, and Sharice Davids of Thunder Valley, Terry Lee of the FDIC, Kadem Fisher of Lakota Funds, and George Twiss of the Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for Housing participated the conversation.   Coalition representatives discussed the need for workforce housing, the work-home design concept, and what tribal leaders can do to promote homeownership.


Thirty Coalition Members Certified as Financial Education Instructors

On March 26 – 28, 2015, thirty South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition members from across the state participated in a three three-day intensive train-the-trainer session in Pierre focusing on financial education for Native communities.  Through the session, participants became certified to teach Building Native Communities financial education classes in their communities.  Participants represented nonprofit organizations, tribal housing entities, tribal departments, and community development financial institutions.  The training was sponsored by the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition, in partnership with GROW South Dakota and its RCDI Initiative.  The training was facilitated by First Nations Oweesta Corporation in partnership with Seven Sisters Community Development Group.


Coalition Representatives Address First Annual Oglala Lakota Housing Summit

On December 17, 2014, representatives of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition attended the First Annual Housing Summit in Rapid City, discussing why the Coalition was created, the mission and vision, benefits of working with the Coalition, accomplishments, and future plans.


Coalition Sponsors “Residential Construction Roundtable”

The South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition sponsored a residential construction roundtable in Rapid City to look at how the Coalition can support contractors’ efforts to build more homes for Native homebuyers. Over 20 participants attended the productive session, sharing challenges and strategies.