Kimberly Long Soldier joined the Coalition’s staff as our Homeownership Program Manager in May. We are glad she is on board!

Growing up in Kyle, South Dakota, Kimberly joined the military at 17 years old. During her time in the Army, she was stationed at various locations throughout the globe and served as a Military Policeman. Kimberly holds an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, and has several years of experience in case management and directing nonprofit programs with a focus on homelessness, job connection services, and veterans.

In her position as Homeownership Program Manager, Kimberly is managing the Wells Fargo Wealth Opportunities Restored Through Homeownership (WORTH) grant, which was awarded in partnership with cdcb, Fahe, Communities Unlimited, HOPE, RCAC, and Oweesta, collectively known as Partners for Rural Transformation. The grant project will create 5,000 new BIPOC homeowners over the next four years, and 400 of them will be located in South Dakota. Since she has come on board, Kimberly has been focusing heavily on developing the Coalition’s new down payment assistance program, which will be launching soon. The program will work with Coalition member organizations to deploy up to $10,000 in down payment funds to tribal members who are purchasing homes, making homeownership more affordable for Native American families.

“I’m really looking forward to helping people. I know how hard it can be to purchase a home because of the land issues, jobs, and housing availability. But, the Coalition is helping people overcome those barriers, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to see that,” says Kimberly.