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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2023)
sNok signflz APRIL 1, 2023 9 Facebook Live concentrates on Tribal housing projects By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde9s myriad efforts to provide housing to its members was the topic of the orst Facebook Live event held in 2023 on Wednesday, March 22. Moderated by Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier, the 43-min- ute session featured Housing De- partment Manager Shonn Leno, Engineering & Planning Manager Ryan Webb and Health Services Executive Director Kelly Rowe brieong approximately 60 viewers on Tribal efforts to provide housing and combat homelessness. Leno said Tribal Housing cur- rently has 85 people on waiting lists for either market rate, low-in- come or Elder housing availability. The largest waiting lists are for those seeking one-bedroom units with 40 people and those seeking Elder housing with 30 people 55 or older. Webb then provided an overview of the Tribal projects currently underway or proposed to address those waiting for housing. The Creekside Elder Housing project at the southwest corner of Hebo and Grand Ronde roads will include 24 energy-efficient units that are two-bedroom, one-bath homes of about 1,100 square feet each. Six of the units are designat- ed for low-income Elders and the other 18 are market rate. Webb said the first Creekside units will be complete in May and they all should be available for oc- cupancy by September. The Tribe9s home ownership proj- ect at the east end of McPherson Road in Grand Ronde is proceeding with 20 single-family homes being built, Webb said. Five of the homes are being constructed by Tribal members with mortgage onancing and 15 are being built by the Tribe after Tribal Council approved a Photo by Michelle Alaimo The Creekside Elder Housing project under construction at the southwest corner of Hebo and Grand Ronde roads was discussed during the Facebook Live event held on Wednesday, March 22. The first Creekside units will be complete in May and they all should be available for occupancy by September. $6.85 million contract with Schol- ten Construction of Willamina on Feb. 22. Later during the event, Webb said he still needs to discuss with Tribal Council whether the 15 Tribally built homes will be rented or sold. Leno said that anyone interested in building a house as part of the home ownership project should contact the Housing Department, which will then forward the Tribal member9s contact information to the Salem mortgage company that the Tribe is working with. Webb added that the second phase of the home ownership proj- ect will see the remaining 32 sin- gle-family homes built. For non-Elder Tribal members who don9t need a house, the Wind River Apartments off Tyee Road will continue to be built. Webb said that future four-unit apart- ment buildings will feature more one-bedroom units to house single Tribal members. Webb said that the Tribe plans to build 10 more apartment buildings and, depending on federal funding, as many as 15 for a total of 60 apartments or more. He added that the long-awaited indoor-outdoor resident/recreation center will be built opposite the cur- rent Tribal Housing Department ofoces and that numerous public meetings will be held regarding the center9s amenities once a contractor is hired. Leno added that the Tribe also is working with the Housing Authori- ty of Yamhill County on its planned 175-unit Stratus Village apartment complex that will be built near Willamette Valley Medical Center in McMinnville. Under the arrangement, 25 of the Stratus Village units will be under Tribal control to house Tribal members, Leno said. Finally, Rowe discussed the tiny shelters that the Tribe purchased and erected between the Tribal Police Department and the Food Bank on the west side of Grand Ronde Road. Rowe said the units filled up quickly and there is currently a waiting list. A second tiny shelter site will be located near the old community garden in Grand Ronde. To qualify for the tiny shelters, a person must be a Grand Ronde Tribal member, spouse or parent of a Tribal member. <We9ve had a lot of feedback from the guests who are very thankful for being able to ond this shelter and not be living in their vehicles or in tents,= Rowe said. The three representatives oelded about seven questions from the Facebook Live audience. <There9s a big effort and a lot of support from Tribal Council to really push getting those wait lists down and building more housing for the community,= Webb said. Mercier concluded the event by saying that he still backs a Tribally subsidized grocery store in Grand Ronde. Even though it did not pen- cil out onancially when a feasibility study was conducted about eight years ago, he said he would not be averse to re-examining the issue. <I still like the idea of a grocery store,= Mercier said. <I know too many people get their food from convenience stores, and there9s a reason they are called convenience stores. It is convenience and it9s certainly not the price that you get a bargain on there. There9s nothing to stop us from evaluating again whether the community can support a grocery store. I think one deserves the right to have access to healthy food that won9t break your wallet.= To watch the entire Facebook Live event, visit the Tribal govern- ment9s Facebook page or search for <Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde= on the website. þ Tribal Veterans Service Office 2023 Claim Appointment Schedule Monday Tuesday Thursday By scheduled By scheduled Walk-in claim appointment only appointment only appointments To schedule a claim appointment: call (503) 879-1484 or email CTGRTribalVSO@GrandRonde.Org