Spilyay Tymoo
Page 2 March 21,1980.
Housing survey shows what people want
By Sandy Rangila
—There is interest by some to
With the completion of the return if housing were available
1979 Warm Springs Housing here.
Survey, the C onfederated — H ouses a re th e m ost
Tribes have taken the first big desirable.
step in documenting informa —Most would not have a place
tion on how much and what to build.
type of housing, is currently —Unemployment was high at
needed on the reservation. The 20 percent plus.
completed survey findings were —The average income came
presented to the Tribal Council out to $12,300.
on March 12.
—Few are eligible for veteran’s
The survey, which was begun benefits.
last summer, dealt only with
trib a l m em ber h ead s-o f-
The 19-25 year age group
h o u se h o ld s who do not had the highest percentage of
currently have their own returned survey question
housing. The survey inter naires. It was also the age group
viewers were successful in most in need of housing
o b taining responses from according to the survey figures.
nearly 70 percent of on-
In that age group, which
reservation people without totaled 160 without housing,
housing, and about 25 percent 117 answ ered the survey
of th o se living o ff the questions and added comments
reservation.
of their own as to their
A lth o u g h the steerin g particular housing needs and
com m ittee conducting the preferences. A whopping 91
survey fell short of their goal to percent of that group indicated
reach 85 percent of those a desire for their own housing,
identified as not having and half of those said they
housing, there were enough wanted apartments. Only 33
responses to draw some valid percent of that group said they
conclusions.
were interested in having a
Among those living on the house right now.
r e s e r v a tio n , th e r e p o r t
Comments included, “They
concludes:
don’t need to be fancy” and “I’ll
— It is evident that those ta k e a n y t h i n g .” O th e r
without housing want their suggestions included, “Tribal
units that tribal enrollees could
own homes.
—Rural housing was deemed purchase at cost,” — “Keep a
the most desireable across the number of rentals for people
board, but financing would be who do not qualify for their
own. Build more townhouse
a problem.
—There is an interest and need type for young people that
for apartm ents (especially could share costs.”
Although the majority of the
among singles and young
19-25 year age group want
marrieds).
—The lease/purchase option apartments or townhouses for
concept is most likely not rental, some wanted to be able
understood as a large number to have other options such as
affordable rural homes or
indicated non-interest.
—A majority of these people lease/purchase option homes
built out in the country.
do not have a place to build.
T h e h o u sin g p ro je c ts
—Unemployment is high at 20
approved in last Fall’s $6.6
percent plus.
—The average income came million referendum election
out to nearly $10,000, which will come close to meeting the
would indicate a possible $204 needs expressed in the survey,
I according to tribal Program
payment or lease cost.
—A large majority indicated Planner Mike Clements. But he
they would like housing for said that the survey findings are
for now and today.
$150 or less.
— Few are eligible for veteran’s “Perhaps (these projects we’re
building) will offset the needs
benefits.
for now and a little of the
Among those living off the future,” he said.
reservation, the survey reports:
But he stressed that this
—Most have accomodations, information gathered in the
however, those 15-20 percent survey should not be put on the
living with friends or relatives shelf and forgotten about.
will need options on their “Follow-up will be crucial. The
next step will be to develop
return to the reservation.
—The average payment or housing projections for the
future,” he said. “It’s already
lease indicated was $202.
People want their own homes, whether they can afford it or not.
Last Fall’s housing referendum will come close to meeting the
needs expressed In the survey—-for now. .
1980. How many houses will be
needed next year and five years
from now?”
Clements noted that the
survey dealt ohly with those
without houses, and that the
unemployment rate in that
group was very high. “Perhaps
that’s one reason they don’t
have a house, but there are
other reasons those people
d o n ’t have h o m e s ,” he
commented.
Clements said that he thinks
if those people did have houses,
that other social problems,
character and responsibility
would im prove. “ A high
percentage of those people
want housing—whether they
can afford it or not,” he added.
“We have to have housing
available before we can start on
financial acountability. People
need that experience (of home
ownership).”
Councilman Larry Calica
m e n tio n e d d u r i n g th e
presentation that perhaps a
method of subsidy should be
considered for those who are
perhaps $50 a month or so of
getting into their own home.
It was suggested that the
Tribal Council send a memo to
General Manager Ken Smith
that future projections and
housing needs be followed up
with further study. Also, the
mem o may c o n ta in the
proposed concept of some kind
o f su b sid y p ro g ra m so
everyone who wants to can get
into a home owenrship role.
The message on the survey’s
cover letter said, “This survey is
only the first step to identifying
and resolving housing needs. It
will give us some guidance in
meeting tribal member needs
today and hopefully in the
future.
“It is important that the
information and recommenda
tions included have a thorough
follow-up process. An example
would be priority lists be
developed for age groups and
identifying people without
housing rather than following a
“first come-first serve” concept.
“There are many unan-
sw e re d q u e s tio n s an d
unidentified problems yet to be
ad d ressed . A lth o u g h our
priority effort should be to
address tribal member needs,
we must recognize an effort to
resolve our total reservation
housing needs. This would
in c lu d e a r e a s su c h as
com m unity d evelopm ent,
la b o r fo rc e , p o p u la tio n
projections, etc. Our future
planning efforts would benefit
a great deal if there were more
solid information to work
from . O th e r in fo rm a tio n
needed at this time is:
1. Identified follow-up process
on this surveys findings and
recommendations.
2. Projection of future tribal
member housing needs.
3. Identify total reservation
needs and incorporate with
tribal needs.
4. Address the limited housing
income need (federal and/or
tribal subsidy, etc.)
“These are thoughts that will
hopefully get us down the road
to a better way of life.”
Local census takers sought
The Confederated tribes are
urging local people to sign up
as 1980 Census takers here on
the Warm Springs Reserva
tion. The census count begins
April 1, and with that date
growing near, the tribes are
falling short of local people to
help conduct the census.
For those interested in
working on the 1980 Census, it
would be a paid part-time job
re q u irin g a th re e -m o n th
commitment.
The information gathered in
the census will be valuable to
the tribes in terms of grant
allocations which are awarded
according to the census
numbers collected. The Tribal
Council and mangement are
asking fo r the p e o p le ’s
coôperation in giving out good-,
quality information.
Some of the questions in the
census survey are rather
p e rso n a l in n a tu re , but
cooperation and honesty will
be important to the tribes. That
is one reason the census
organizers think people would
feel more comfortable with
local census takers.
C onfidentiality and the
Privacy Act will be strictly
enforced. Not even the IRS
(Internal Revenue Service) or
the President of the United
States will be allowed to look
over individual census forms.
The final census results will be
fed through a computer which
is programmed to remove
individuals’ names, making the
data regional information only.
If you are interested and
willing to work on the 1980
C e n su s lo c a lly , c o n ta c t
M ayann G ab riel in the
Personnel Department, or
contact Nathan Jim, Sr., local
census crew boss.
Sp ilyay Tymoo
Coyote News
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SPILYAY TYMOO STAFF * * * * * * *
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MANAGING EDITOR ............................ .............................Sid MMar
ASSISTANT E D IT O R ............. .................................. Sandy Rangila
PHOTOGRAPHIC SPECIALIST/WRITER................. Olney PattJr.
REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHERS
Donna Behrend
Roger Stwyer
Martha Shewezyk
TYPESETTER , .................................................Priscilla Squiemphen
FOUNDED IN MARCH OF 1976
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Let the wind blow
Latch-Key students are working on developing their kite launching abilities. Brisk March winds
provide the perfect atmospheric conditions for cultivating that skill
Spilyay Tymoo Photo by Shewezyk