Smoke Signals
New housing project will allow Eiders to be close to home
Continued from front page
to apply for one of the units is not
complicated. Langley works specifi
cally with applicants and works on
getting members qualified for the
various housing assistance the Tribe
offers through the Grand Ronde
Tribal Housing Authority.
Langley said the first step for El
ders to take is to submit an applica
tion with current house
hold income verification
and get on the waiting
list.
Currently, the maxi
mum annual income
limit for Elders to
qualify is $26,800 for
one person and $30,600
for two people. Langley
said some figures could
change due to changing
HUD requirements but
they will not be signifi
cant. Langley wants El
ders to know the an
nual income figures are
maximums and not
minimums.
HUD also requires the
Elders' pension of $500
a month must be
counted into the income
equation. Langley said
the $6,000 annual Elder
pension figure can be deducted when
rent adjustments are totaled.
The rent amount will be 30 percent
of the applicant's adjusted income.
The maximum rent is currently set
at $299 plus the cost of utilities for
Elders who qualify for the housing.
There are currently 50 Elders on
the waiting list right now for 38 units,
but not all of the people on the list
will qualify, Langley said.
"I want to try and encourage any
interested Elders to submit an appli
cation," said Langley. "According to
HUD guidelines, we will give prior
ity to Elders who are 62 and over.
We will go by the order of the date of
the applications of those who are 62
and over first. Once we have all those
people qualified then we will qualify
Elders 55 to 62 years of age next."
Langley said he enjoys the satis
faction of knowing the Elders are go
ing to get homes in the community.
"It is neat to see the excitement on
some of the Elders' faces, especially
when they see the affordability of the
units and the design of the unit's lay
outs," said Langley. "They just beam
and they can't wait to get in. It is
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FLOOR PLAN
really rewarding."
"I think a lot of our Elders have
waited a long time," said Tribal Coun
cil member Val Grout of the Elders'
housing project finally coming to frui
tion. "I feel real good about it and I
think our Elders feel real good about
it too. It just seems like it took so
many years to get here."
Grout said she understands why
the housing took so long to get un
derway. "There were a lot of water and
sewer issues that needed to be
worked through before we could get
started on the Elders' housing," said
Grout. "You have to jump through
so many hoops now to build any
thing. When I was a kid, if you
wanted to build something, you just
dug it out and got started."
Grout said the issue of Elders' hous
ing is an important one. She said El
ders deserve to be treated with dig
nity as often as possible.
"My feeling is that, during Termi
nation, our Elders went without for
so long," said Grout. "We're going to
be here for a long time, but our El
ders aren't going to be. To me, I
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Occupancy Specialist Bryan Langley says helping Elders with their housing
needs is a favorite part of his job. Here, he shows a floor plan and the
artist's rendering of the Elders housing development. Photos by Brent Merrill
would rather see our Elders taken
care of now because our young
people have years yet to reap the
benefits. Our Elders don't."
Grout said it is payback time for
tribal Elders who suffered through
the indignities of termination and ev
erything that came with it.
"During Restoration, it was our
Elders that helped get the Tribe re
stored by doing their bake sales and
by giving what little money they
could to pay for gas to go to meet
ings and to go around and get sup
port for Restoration," said Grout of
Elder's contributions. "If there were
any needs, it was our Elders who
were there. They were the ones who
brought the food to feed people and
we need to respect our Elders and do
everything we can for them while we
still can."
Tribal Council member June Sell
Sherer believes the Elders' housing
project is very important.
"I think it is something that is long
overdue," said Sell-Sherer. "I think
that our Elders need to be taken care
of in their last years. A lot of them
have not had an easy life. They need
to know that their tribal members,
their young people, and all the Tribe
cares about them and wants to see
them live out their final years with
out having to worry about where
they are going to live and where they
are going to eat."
Sell-Sherer said one of the aspects
of the housing program that she
likes is having the Elders living in
the area where many of them grew
up and lived most of their lives.
"They are at the base of their
home," said Sell-Sherer of the Grand
Ronde Elders. "They are in territory
they find much more accessible for
community events and services the
Tribe offers. It is easier for the El
ders if they live here to get to meals
and to the clinic and because many
have transportation problems. This
is where their roots are. This is where
their friends are and this is the focal
point of the community."
"I think the Tribe has come a long
ways," said Grout of the Tribe's
progress towards housing Elders.
"We have always been a part of the
community, but now we are more
visible."
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Elder Leonard Vivette won two prizes at the Restoration
Celebration. Photo by Tracy Dugan
Members celebrate Restoration
Continued from front page
BIA in Portland, was also at the celebration, and spoke briefly to tribal members.
"I know it took a lot of hard work for you to get to that very special day on November
22. It's something you have celebrated," he said. "It is very close to the year 2000. As
you look back on this century, you will see the events that most impacted you."
Speaks cited Termination, Restoration, self-governance agreement, and the gaming
compact as significant events for the Grand Ronde Tribe. He said that Grand Ronde
was only the second tribe in the Northwest to become recognized, and that other tribes
could become recognized as a result of what Grand Ronde had already accomplished.
"You have created a tribal community," he said. "The name of Grand Ronde is known
throughout the country today. Because you have come so far in such a short period of
time. You have helped pave the way for other tribes."
As for the next century, Speaks said that Grand Ronde's active membership will de
termine where Grand Ronde will be in 50 years.
"There are certain things every tribe must have," he said. "A strong link to culture,
education, and a strong government. Every tribe needs good leadership. Grand Ronde
has that."
The celebration concluded with a mini pow-wow, announced by Les Houck.