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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1998)
PROGRAM NEWS & NOTES Womens Talking Circle Schedule The Talking Circles are held at the Siletz Tribal Community Center unless otherwise announced. Daycare is available. Each Circle lasts from 2 to 5 hours. Sunday, September 27,h at 9:30 AM Tuesday, October 13* at 5:00 PM Sunday, October 25,h at 9:30 AM Tuesday, November 10lh at 5:00 PM Sunday, November 22nd at 9:30 AM Tuesday, December 8,h at 5:00 PM Sunday, December 27th at 9:30 AM Hum’Chi HOUSING REPORT By Connie Hoffman SIHA Executive Director By the time that you read this all of the 39 homes on Rogue River, Shasta, and Chetco Courts will have new roofs and fresh coats of paint. The 15 homes on Tootootney Court will have sliding glass doors with patio slabs and wood stoves. Smoke detectors will be installed in the bedrooms of all of the 54 homes. Fences are being built to protect the yards. We’re in the midst of a $700,000 HUD- funded rehabilitation project for the 54 Mutual Help homes which were built in 1989 and 1991. Adams Construction Management Company, an Indian-owned firm, is the general contractor. The work is scheduled for completion in January 1999. * * * * * One of the new programs that we have begun with our housing block grant funds is an expanded emergency housing program for Tribal members, who are living throughout the 11 -county service area and even beyond. The Housing Board is considering the adoption of updated policies to govern this program, whose overall purpose is to prevent Tribal member households who are faced with eviction or foreclosure from becoming homeless and to assist homeless Tribal members with securing housing. As with all block grant funding, eligibility is limited to those households who are at or below 80 percent of national median income. General requirements for those wishing to receive emergency assistance are as follows: All other emergency resources, such as General Assistance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and Adult and Family Services (AFS) must have been exhausted. 2. No household may receive more than one month’s rent in any 12-month period. 3. No deposits may be paid. 4. Residents of the Housing Authority’s Mutual Help and Low-Rent apartments units in Siletz are not eligible for emergency assistance. 1. -10- Housing Report (continued) Housing Report (continued) Application is made on a form provided by the Housing Authority which is available at the Area Offices and from the Housing Authority office in Siletz. A copy of the eviction or foreclosure notice must be attached. Late fees will be paid only if the original rental agreement provided forthem. Homeless persons must provide a reason for their homelessness, which could be a need to relocate due to changing circumstances; moving from a temporary housing arrangement to a more permanent one; or that their present landlord will not accept one month’s rent in lieu of payment for all back rent and is proceeding with eviction. Short-term lodging (up to 30 days) may be provided in a hotel/motel when no other resources are available. Applicants may receive this short term lodging, following by the first month’s rent, assuming all eligibility criteria are met. All applicants for emergency assistance will be asked to provide a statement justifying the need for the request. Anyone who would like a copy of the complete proposed policy may request one from the Housing Authority office— 1 -800-922-1399 ext. 310. Comments on the policy should be submitted in writing to SIHA, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, OR 97380. from a series of HUD grants which were received in 1996 and 1997. These homes will be filled with applicants from the Mutual Help waiting list, some of whom have been on the waiting list for several years. Applications are still being ac cepted for this program, however. Eligibility is based on the 80% of median income figure for your family size. Mutual Help applicants are also subjected to a screening procedure to determine that they have a good history of meeting financial obligations, maintaining their homes, and super vising their children. After a lengthy search for qualified applicants, we have hired a housing finance specialist and administrative assistant to staff a new down payment assistance program which will be headquartered in the Salem area. This program, funded with block grant funds, will serve Tribal members throughout the service area and beyond. The aim of the program is to provide a sufficient amount of down payment assistance to families to enable them to qualify for an affordable loan to purchase a home. A component of the program will be consumer credit counseling to help the families address problems in their credit histories which may be preventing them from obtaining financing. Most of the families which will be served under this program will have household incomes under 80% of median income. We will be able to help a few families who are above this income limit. When application procedures and forms are in place, Tribal members will be notified. Block grant funds are also being provided to the Housing Improvement Program department to expand the rehabilitation program which upgrades homes owned by Tnbal members throughout the service area and beyond. Households who will benefit from this program must be at or below 80% of median income. Applications are available at the HIP Office. (Median income figures are available at the Housing Authority or HIP offices.) * ♦ * * We hope to get out to bid before December 1 for the 21 homes that are scheduled to be built on the Dickenson property, on the west edge of Siletz. Interested contractors should watch the Daily Journal of Commerce and may also contact the Housing Authority office for information about the plans, specifications, and bid opening. Funding for these homes come ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ No one was happier than we were to welcome Norman Counts as the first Tribal Police Chief. His presence here helps assure our residents a safe, peaceful living environment. Housing block grant funds have been made available to provide equipment and supplies for the law enforcement department, as well as a home for Chief Counts. Siletz Business Information Center Hours: Monday - Thursday, 1:30 - 4:30pm Fridays, 9 am -1 pm Lisa Brown, Counselor Room 202, Tribal Administration Building * Alternative appointment times available for business counseling Please call at least 1 week prior to ap pointment - to schedule time/date 1-800-922-1399, ext. 255 or 541-444-8255 Siletz Business Information Center Presents Office of Women Business Ownership (OWBO) “VENTURE OUT” TRAINING CONTINUES: The OWBO “Venture Out” training series continues with: Marketing - Nov. 4'h 12:00 4:00 p.m. Capital Access - Nov. 19lh 12:00-4:00 p.m. Tuition is free. Please note that these training sessions are not solely limited to female participation. All classes will be held at the Siletz Tribal Community Center. If you have questions, or would like to sign up for the program, please contact Lisa Brown at 444-8255, or 800-922- 1399 for additional information.
