Photo by CLARE JENSEN
PUYALLUP TRIBAL COUNCIL VICE CHAIRMAN BILL STERUD ADDRESSES THE AUDIENCE AT THE CEREMONIAL RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY’S GRANDVIEW TOWNHOMES JAN. 12.
The ceremonial ribbon cutting of the Puyallup Tribe’s first housing project in more than 15 years was held Jan. 12 at the site of the Housing Authority’s Grandview Townhomes.
Housing officials say the 22-unit development will be move-in ready in early spring and is still taking applications from low-income native families.
Each of the units has three bedrooms, one bathroom and is geared toward new families with younger children. The site is located adjacent to the Tribe’s childcare facility, Grandview Early Learning Center.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, project partners, legislators and national housing representatives expressed their pride in accomplishing this new,
environmentally-minded, healthy, safe living facility for more low-income families in the local native community.
“Putting a roof over our tribal member’s heads is the key for our families to move forward,” said Bill Sterud, vice chairman of the Tribal Council. “And it always makes me feel proud to see us moving forward as a people.”
The most recent housing development through the Housing Authority was the construction of the apartments in Northeast Tacoma more than 20 years ago.
These additional 22 units on Grandview are a new trend in the Housing Authority’s mission to provide more adequate, affordable, healthy housing for tribal members young and old.
Following the completion of Grandview, two more housing projects are on the horizon.
Eight units are currently under construction specifically for Tribal elders and are slated for completion in 2010.
Another three-phased housing development in Northeast Tacoma will provide 20 more living quarters total to tribal families, and construction on phase one of this project is planned to start in 2010.
“Housing can and does transform lives in meaningful ways,” said Sandra Henriquez, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assistant secretary who visited the ceremony as part of a larger tour of Native American housing programs in the Puget Sound.
Rodger Boyd, deputy assistant secretary for the HUD office of Native American programs, noted the real impact he has seen in an Alaska Native Community.
“Housing is not just shelter, housing has a huge impact throughout the community,” he said, noting that health, academic performance and school retention has improved in the youth of many communities he has seen, with crime going down when adequate, healthy, safe housing options are available to the low-income community.
Ground broke on the Grandview Townhomes project a little more than a year ago after the Housing Authority received financing support through a Wells Fargo Bank federal loan, as well as state and federal grants.
The total cost of the project has not been finalized, but is estimated at about $5 million.
The money owed on the project will be paid back by tenants’ rent, which is determined based on tenant income.
Call (253) 573-7956 to find out more on how to apply for housing.
