TAHLEQUAH, Okla. —Cherokee Nation is partnering with its housing authority to address its own workforce barriers using an innovativeUnited States Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 184 Skilled Workers Demonstration Loan Program.
The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation recently partnered with Cherokee Nation Marshal Service to construct five homes for marshals as a way to recruit and retain high demand jobs by providing them with new, safe and affordable rental homes.
The Cherokee Nation is the first tribe in the country to administer the program.
The loan program will enable the construction of multiple rental homes in Cherokee communities to recruit and retain skilled employees for hard-to-fill positions in law enforcement, health care, education, language, contracting, housing and other areas.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Executive Director of Housing Programs Todd Enlow, Marshal Daniel Mead, Council of the Cherokee Nation and other directors, toured one of the homes under construction at Galitsode Housing Addition in Tahlequah on Tuesday.
“Cherokee Nation has always prioritized housing needs on our reservation, and the Section 184 program is another example of how providing resources to essential Cherokee workers helps our workforce and communities thrive,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, as well as other essential workers in the Cherokee Nation are vital to keeping our communities safe, and our employees are well deserving of this housing support.”
Cherokee Nation is the first tribal nation to be approved for the program.
According to the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation's HUD Section 184 Skilled Workers Demonstration Program Policy, a skilled worker is someone who has acquired mastery or training in a specific occupation, craft or trade. Skilled employees possess special skills, knowledge or abilities related to their work, gained through college or vocational education, specialized training or on-the-job experience.
The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation defined the marshals and other CNMS employees as skilled workers in a letter and an adopted policy provided to HUD Office of Native American Programs and Office of Loan Guarantee as part of the loan approval process.
“We’re honored that the Housing Authority selected the Marshal Service for the program,” said Cherokee Nation Marshal Daniel Mead. “Providing housing will make it easier to recruit skilled applicants, especially those who want to serve but live outside the reservation. This initiative not only strengthens our workforce but also puts marshals directly in the community, creating more opportunities for engagement. The housing crisis affects everyone, and this effort helps address that challenge. Our marshals protect the reservation every day, and we’re proud to be part of a program that supports them and the people they serve.”
Housing made available through the Section 184 program will be offered to Cherokee Nation employees, regardless of citizenship status. At least one member of the renter’s household must be employed as a skilled worker by Cherokee Nation at the time of initial leasing and must sign the lease. In many cases, an employee will have the option to buy the home after 10 years.
The rental homes are similar to those built by the Housing Authority in the existing Cherokee Nation housing additions across Tahlequah, Muskogee, Jay, Sallisaw and Stilwell.
The homes, now under construction, for the Marshals feature the largest available floorplan at 1,744 square feet, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two-car garage and a storm shelter in the master closet.
“The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation is grateful for the opportunity to partner with HUD,” said Todd Enlow, executive director of housing programs. “The Section 184 program offers Cherokee Nation employees in the approved skilled worker categories access to affordable housing. The Marshal Service was the perfect candidate, and now we have a way to bring in more marshals to the community, as is needed for tribal sovereignty.”
HACN has started work on the first two homes in Tahlequah, and Enlow said they are expected to be completed in a few months. An additional home will be built in each of Jay, Sallisaw and Muskogee.
The Section 184 loan for this project was subsidized with funding from the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act. Through this act, more than $120 million has been provided for Cherokee Nation housing construction overall, including helping build additional units and meet the needs of some of the most critical public safety employees on the reservation.
In the near future, HACN is seeking additional communities and employment centers to develop more houses to ensure the workforce is ready to serve our people by reducing the stresses of housing security close to work.
For more information, visit hacn.org or call 918-456-5482.