6 OCTOBER 1, 2005
Smoke Signals
Rousing Housing Review
Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Authority called "an
exceptionally well-run program."
By Ron Karten
"An exceptionally well-run pro
gram, staffed by highly qualified
personnel." That's the bottom line
assessment of the Tribe's Housing
Authority by the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Develop
ment (HUD).
The review, the first that I IUD
has performed at Grand Ronde,
covers the period from the first
HUD allocations in the mid
1990s, with a focus on the period
since 1998 when the Grand
Ronde Tribal Housing Authority
(GRTHA) issued its first 5-year
plan. In these years, HUD's Of
fice of Native American Pro
grams has provided more than
$25 million to GRTHA for low-income
housing and the variety of
projects also necessary for devel
opment roads, landscaping,
piping for water and treatment
for sewers, and even staff sala
ries all required when new
housing goes up.
This $25 million has funded,
for example, the Elders rentals,
the family rentals and family
housing including 54 low in
come units and 18 market rate
units now under construction.
will also pay for two of three Elder
foster homes now under construc
tion. It paid for the Housing Au
thority office and shop, the
wetlands mitigation project on the
Brown property next to the Hous
ing Authority office, ProStar patrols
providing additional security,
travel and training for Housing
Authority staffers as well as all
environmental assessments and
planning. It will pay for half of the
Elder ActivityCommunity Center
with the Tribe picking up half.
During this time, the Tribe has
contributed more than $5 million so
that some of these projects also in
clude folks at various income levels.
"GRTHA (Grand Ronde Tribal
Housing Authority) has been able
to effectively leverage other funds
with its HUD housing grants and
Tribal sponsored housing programs
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Carina Kistler Ginter
to provide quality housing for
Grand Ronde Tribal members," said
the report. "In addition, GRTHA
has utilized its resources and poli
cies to help create safe inviting
neighborhoods..."
"It is very generous and very
thoughtful of (Tribal Council) to do
it," said GRTHA Director Carina
Kistler Ginter. "That's how you build
healthy communities, by combining
mixed income levels," she said.
In its evaluation of fund recipi
ents, the review looked at 11 pro
gram areas including
organizational structure, policies,
financial management and mainte
nance. Labor standards were re
viewed in a report issued in Janu
ary, 2003, and no labor standards
issues remained unresolved at the
time of the current report.
Specifically, the report made
these comments:
Management and Organiza
tional Structure: "impressive man
agement systems and its obvious
commitment to excellence."
Policies, Procedures and Certifi
cations: "GRTHA's financial and
fiscal management systems and
the related systems of internal con
trol do an exceptional job of ensur
ing that the financial records are
current, accurate and complete and
that financial assets are ad
equately safeguarded."
Financial and fiscal Manage
ment Systems: The review "dis
closed no ineligible or unallowable
uses of the program income gen
erated... exceptional financial and
internal control systems."
Self-monitoring: "While
GRTHA's procedures meet the
minimum requirements for self
monitoring, additional procedures
would enhance the self-monitoring
system."
Indian Housing Plan Compli
ance: "GRTHA has completed all
goals and objectives from its 1998
and 1999 plans. The 2000
through 2004 IHP goals and ob
jectives are in process and achiev
ing reasonable progress."
Maintenance and Inspection:
"GRTHA has a comprehensive
maintenance program... and is do
ing an excellent job in ensuring
rental units remain in good repair."
Environmental Compliance: For
all grants and projects, environ
mental assessments were "com
plete and its determinations well
documented."
Occupancy: "no areas of non
compliance." Procurement and Contract
Administration: "...maintaining
an excellent procurement sys
tem." The Housing Authority
was commended for its efforts in
"establishing a bulk purchase
procedure for small dollar items
where best prices are obtained
from several sources annually
rather than obtaining quotes
each time a purchase is made."
Indian Preference and Nondis
crimination: "...no area of non
compliance." What should Tribal members
take away from this report? "That
they have one of the best, most
well-run Indian Housing authori
ties not only in the Northwest but
in the country," said Ginter.
"I think it's important that this
information be communicated to
the membership," said Housing
Board Chairman Chris Leno. "I
know some (HUD) reviewers think
of us as a model agency."
"HUD is referring Tribes all over
to talk to us," said Ginter.
GRTHA also was nominated for
three awards by the Northwest In
dian Housing Association
(NWIHA): Tribe of the Year, In
dian Housing Authority Executive
Director of the Year for Ginter and
Indian Housing Authority Staff
Person of the Year for Develop
ment and Construction Coordina
tor Duane Hussey. On September
15, NWIHA named Grand Ronde
the Tribe of the Year and Ginter
the Executive Director of the Year.
Leno attributes the success of
the program to "good people work
ing for the Tribe current and
previous."
New Tribal Housing Moving Along In Grand Ronde
"Lots of progress. Lots of movement. Lot of construction'
By Ron Karten
The Tribal Housing Division is
firing on all cylinders. It broke
ground for the upcoming 72
unit mixed income development
back in June. Today, the
houses are going up.
"They could come as fast as "a
house a day," said Development
Construction Coordinator
Duane Hussey, when all of the
subcontractors are on the case.
Already, the 20-acre site south
of Tyee Road on the Melcher
property, has been "reshaped to
our component design," he said.
"All of the road base is in. All of
the sewer lines are in. Fifty per
cent of the water lines are in.
One hundred percent of the
purple lines, for reused water,
are in place. Plumbing is ready
in four units."
The plan included setting up a
plant right on site to build the
wood framed structures, and at
present, all 22 three-bedroom
Home Site Work is continuing on the new 20-acre site which is south of Tyee
Road on the Melcher property. It will be 72 new housing units.
homes are complete; all 28 two-bedroom
homes are complete; and the
crew is working on the 12 one-bedroom
units. The project also will
include two five-bedroom units and
eight four bedroom units.
In all, 54 units will be slated for fam
ily low-income renters while 18 will
accommodate families at market rates.
Federal NAHASDA (Native American
Housing Assistance and Self Determi
nation Act) dollars are funding the
low-income units. The Tribe is kick
ing in for the market rate units.
In the southeast quadrant of the
park, the plans will accommodate a
child care facility that is still under
consideration by the Tribal Council.
"We're pouring footings every
other day," said Hussey.
The structures are the same de
sign as the first low-income family
units now adjacent to the Housing
Department on Tyee Road. A park
for the development will include
a water feature and an outdoor
basketball court. Walking trails,
security lighting, pedestrian
sidewalks and street lighting all
will be included in the develop
ment, according to Hussey. A
stream runs the full length of
the project from north to south.
"Lot of progress. Lot of move
ment. Lotofconstruction'hesaid.
And it's only going to get faster as
we introduce more and more
subtrades. We're going to have
buildings to live in before June
next year."
"We worked diligently to en
hance the market rate units to
make them very attractive to
Tribal members," said Carina
Kistler Ginter, Housing Author
ity Executive Director. "We in
cluded preferred upgrades such
as garages, play areas for chil
dren and walking paths noted in
the recent survey distributed to
Tribal member employees."