txnMjmr'm in nn. win inr""""'""'1 mi i nn ijjjijir-imjmr'wipjiwiiit ur--riimi-r'JTtTiii-iiiir'''rrr-'iiiLiii m b tihh iiniiiiiniiiiiiwi'""iiiii m m n mt
may i, 2003 Smoke Signals
Linda Layden Hits the Road; Going North to Canada
An inspired force for Tribal housing, Layden built a lasting base for the future.
By Ron Karten
After nine years leading the Tribal housing
program, Linda Layden is moving on.
"It is time for others to carry on," she said from
her new office in the Tribal Housing Authority's
new building, a beautiful remembrance of her
last project with the Tribe. It opened in Janu
ary. This last project also includes the soon-to-be-finished
36-unit rentals for low-income Tribal
members. Along with Hip Tilixam, the 38-unit
Elder housing project, Cxi Alta Ileptatuwa, the
36-lot Grand Meadows home ownership project,
and a number of valuable Tribal grant pro
grams, Layden took the Tribe from literally
ground zero to a housing foundation the Tribe
now takes great pride in.
"Even though Linda did nine years here, her
work will be able to be seen for many years to
come," said Tribal Council Vice Chairman Reyn
Leno.
"I'd like to do an acknowledgement of Linda's
accomplishments and a thank you as the Board
Chair for the visual accomplishment of the de
partment that she built over the last nine years,"
said Tribal member Tim Holmes, Chairman of
the Housing Authority's Board of Directors. "You
may have moved on but you will be remembered
by the good work you did."
She came to the Tribe in 1994 after more than
20 years of developing housing and home re
pairs for programs across Oregon and Washing
ton. She built the staff, which started with just
herself and Tribal member Lonnie Leno, and is
now nine positions strong. She created the Tribal
Housing Authority Board, an active, industry
wise and committed group that has guided the
process. And she initiated the 1995 housing
study that set the direction for all of the success
that followed.
"Housing was kind of off on its own for the
first few years," said Leno. "When we started
the projects, and all that HUD money
came through, it became apparent
how hard she had been working."
"She was a very determined ad
ministrator," said Tribal Elder
Bob Watson, first chairman of
the Tribal Housing Authority ,
Board of Directors, who also
went on to Chair the Gam
ing Authority and run the
casino. "I think she under
stood what the Tribes'
needs were. "She under
stood the federal role, the
state role, the county role;
she understood all those
roles and helped the
Tribe get through all
those requirements. I
think we're really in
debted to her on these
projects."
Watson credited
Layden with being the
first in the country to make
project-sized use of the Sec
tion 184 federal loans, which
for the first time enabled Indi
ans to buy homes on Tribal lands.
And he also credited her with guiding NAHASDA
into being. NAHASDA is the federal law which
provides housing grants to Tribes across the coun
try. She calls the Elder Housing project, "the jewel"
of her efforts, not only because it honored many
of those who had waited a lifetime for an oppor
tunity to live on the Reservation, but also be
cause she recognized that many Elders were
quickly aging even as the project was in process.
Layden credits staff and board members and
the support of Tribal Council for the success she
3
is m
t r w i
U Mil
felt as she finished her tenure with the Tribe.
Layden also felt good about the Authority's out
side relationships. "We have a good reputation
with HUD (the federal Housing and Urban De
velopment Department) and the other Tribal
Housing Authorities."
Federal funding for Tribes is allotted by
formula, according to Layden, and the
vagueries of history have left this Tribe so
short of housing that federal funding has
been better for the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde (CTGR) than for many other
Tribes. In fact, CTGR has received about
$25 million from HUD during Layden's ten
ure and spent or assigned about $12 million.
Future projects may nevertheless be on hold
in the area because of regional land use pres
sures and state water shortages. Upcoming
projects including a foster home for Elders and
an Elder Community Center, scheduled for this
year, may already have run into some of these
roadblocks, said Layden.
Other possible directions include reaching out
to develop projects beyond Grand Ronde and
expanding subsidy programs within and be
yond the ten local counties.
"My intent is to maximize the use of HUD
funds, including down payment assistance,
closing cost assistance, interest subsidies, re
habilitation subsidies and rental assistance sub
sidies," said Assistant Housing Director Greg Mar
tin, who has been named interim director.
But these are projects for the future. "I ac
complished all that I originally set out to do,"
Layden said. "We've accomplished home own
ership, housing for Elders and with the new
project, housing for families."
Layden plans to move to Canada with her hus
band, who is Canadian.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to have
worked with the Tribe," she said.
i.l
JL
1 i .
' f ' '
Central Gathering Area - The Tribe's new housing will be
built around a central gathering area located in the middle of the
family units. The project is being constructed using federal money
provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) funds. Each home will have it's own fenced back
yard and carport. All of the houses are handicapped accessible and
two of the units are completely handicapped equipped with lowered
counters and handrails. The homes are designed to be energy effi
cient, with double pane windows and radiant floor heating. There
are bike and footpaths throughout and a large playground.
Jr' !!b ;rri
Sj03.6 (j ' , 'Li :
Mm
Photos by
Brent Merrill
v
y
a.., . -L-
ii '! i I
4 jx hr- i i