ME8
SOCIAL SERVICES
TRIBAL HOUSING PROGRAM SERVICES
AGING COUNCL (Continued from page 7).
Specifically, NICOA advocates for improved health care
services, including the development of specialized
geriatric health services; better mental health services,
mental health education, and adult protective services;
suitable and comprehensive in house services, including
home health, chore and maintenance services; and
increased transportation services.
OTHER ISSUES
NICOA is also seeking to increase the presence of tribal
leaders, Indian elders and their advocates on task forces,
advisory committees, councils and commissions which
make decisions affecting Indian elders and their fami
lies. It also proposes that knowledgeable Indians be
placed in decision-making and policy-making positions
within programs serving Indian populations.
Within Indian communities, NICOA pledges to promote
meaningful roles, quality services and an environment of
compassion for Indian elders. It will explore ways, to
form and foster groups including AARP chapters -that
promote the well-being of American Indian elders
and advocate on their behalf.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO LEADERS
Among the many actions steps outlined in the position
papers, NICOA particularly urges federal, state and
private leaders, as appropriate, to:
"reaffirm and reinforce existing treaties and obligations;
"raise awareness of the Indian elder population as being
"at risk";
"work for passage of the Indian Health Care Improve
ment Act;
"create an "Indian desk" within all federal agencies
administering programs which impact on the Indian
population; and,
"recognize and allow for in-home care services con
tracted to the tribes and provided by trained tribal
personnel, which would be certified and eligible for
Medicare reimbursements, just like any other home
health care agency in a given state.
Since NICOA's Board of Directors approved the
position statements at their meeting last December, they
have been sent to various members of Congress and
state legislatures, and to national aging organizations.
They will be formally presented to NICOA's member
ship at its national conference in October.
"Reprinted from "Highlights", newspaper of the
American Association of Retired Persons, July 1988.
I would like to take some time to explain to all of you '
how the housing program works.
The housing improvement program, commonly call HIP
was created to help Indian families by providing a way
for them to have safe and decent housing.
There are four categories of assistance available under
the HIP.
Category "A" is for repairs to a home that cannot be
made standard. (Standard means structurally sound with
adequate facilities and meeting applicable codes of the
area in which it is located.) A maximum of $2500 is
available to the home for such things as roofing, win
dows, doors, etc. Once the repairs are made there is no
further assistance available to these homes. They are to
be burned or demolished as more suitable standard
housing is made available to the occupants.
Category "B" is for repair to bring a home to standard
condition. This category is to repair homes that are
good solid older homes that need repair to make them
comply with local codes and ensure they will last another
25-30 years. The work performed under this category is
foundations, roofing, plumbing, electrical, and insula
tion. The maximum expenditure under this category is
$20,000. The house must be in standard condition when
the repairs are completed and cannot be served again.
Category "C" is a program to provide down-payment
assistance to those who want to purchase a home. To
qualify for this grant you must be a first time home
buyer and cannot own other property. The home your
purchase must be a standard home, mobile homes do
not qualify for this category. The amount of this grant is
$5,000 or 10 percent of the purchase price plus closing
costs, whichever is less. The person receiving the grant
must be able to arrange financing through a lending
institution in order to finance the balance left after the
grant is applied.
Category "D" is a category to provide new homes to
those in need of such and who cannot obtain a home in
any other manner. The maximum amount of this grant
is $45,000 and can be used to construct a new home.
There are no grants available under this category at the
current time.
The first step in obtaining help from the HIP is to fill
out an application and get it on file in the housing office.
When you return your application be sure to include all
the necessary information or it will not be processed.
Applications are rated and ranked by a number of
criteria that generate points in a scoring process in
which the highest scores are placed on a priority list for
service as soon as funds are available.
The HIP operates under a set of fairly complex regula
. tions so it is seldom that service is available in less than
6 12 months. , . . . ,
If you are thinking of applying to HIP for assistance, do
it now because the longer you take, the longer you wait.
Current funding for HIP is very low so not many people
are being helped but we have hope that things will
improve in the near future and we will be able to help
many of you get the housing you need.
Sincerely,
Dave Bailey
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SiJelz and Grand Ronde elders visit during recent Junciieon together.