Fair to help Zuni deal with housing needs

By Karen Francis
Staff writer

ZUNI — While the Pueblo of Zuni may have a housing need in excess of 800 units, the Zuni Housing Authority is hoping to begin addressing the tremendous need with small steps, including hosting a housing fair Friday and applying for several grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Zuni Housing Authority expects several hundred people when it hosts its second annual housing fair Sept. 28 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Zuni Tribal Building east parking lot.

The fair is held to promote the products and services available through the housing authority and its business partners. Information and demonstrations on such topics as home ownership, home construction and home renovation will be available.

“It’s really an effort to reach out to our community and provide information on the services that we here at Zuni Housing Authority can provide,” Michael Chavez, Zuni Housing Authority director, said.

Chavez said that information will be available on the Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Program, which the housing authority is currently utilizing to help several families. Representatives from HUD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will also be in attendance to explain the various services they offer.

Though the housing authority is still applying for some grants, recently its efforts paid off when the Pueblo of Zuni was awarded $2,728,783 by the HUD’s Indian Housing Block Grant Program to improve housing conditions for Native Americans.

“This funding helps tribal communities provide decent, safe, affordable housing for its members,” HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson said. “HUD is proud to partner with tribal governments in our efforts to provide quality housing to Native Americans.”

HUD’s Indian Housing Block Grant Program gives $626 million to nearly 400 tribal housing entities annually. The IHBG program was established under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996, which reorganized HUD’s housing assistance to Native Americans by eliminating several separate assistance programs and replacing them with block grant assistance. This single needs-based grant empowers tribes to determine how best to use the funding to address specific needs of their communities. Federally recognized Indian tribes or tribally designated housing entities are eligible for these grants.

The Zuni Housing Authority submits its Indian Housing Plan annually to HUD after approval by the board of commissioners and the tribal council. The funds that were awarded are appropriated based on those housing plans.
Chavez said that the funds will be used primarily on new housing development and rehabilitation of some existing homes.