Yurok Indian Housing Authority

FISCAL AND COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT

It is nice to be back working for the Yurok People. I came to work for the Yurok Indian Housing Authority on February 1, 2002 and it has been nice getting to know the employees at the Housing Authority. They are a great group to work with. 1920s Yurok Basket

As a new employee the first thing I did was review the need and the resources to meet the need. I was very surprised to discover there are seven hundred people on the list waiting for housing assistance. In reviewing the resources available, I discovered the NAHASDA grant was reduced from $3,627,148.00 for Fiscal Year 2001 to $1,500,633.00 for Fiscal Year 2002. This reduction is primarily due to the way HUD defines households. Example: If you have your son, daughter in-law and their children move in with you due to extenuating circumstances, and then your mother and father in-law lose their home due to fire and also move in, under HUD definitions, you are still considered one household and not the (3) three separate families in an over-crowded situation as would seem appropriate. This definition is not likely to be changed under the current administration, although considerable attention has been directed to this issue by Native American organizations around the country.

On a more positive note the Board of Commissioners approved the formation of a “Not for Profit Corporation” at the May meeting. You might wonder why a Housing Authority would want to form a Not for Profit Corporation. The primary reason is that a Non-Profit organization is eligible to apply for funding that a housing authority is not. Under the 1937 Housing Act, Indian Housing Authorities were eligible to apply for a variety of grants to assist with housing needs. The Indian Housing Act of 1988 amended the 1937 housing act and combined the various grants under the NAHASDA grant. A Not for Profit Corporation can apply for all of the funding that was available under the 1937 Housing Act in addition to applying for funding from private foundations and other sources. I am looking forward to the development of the “Not for Profit Corporation” and I will keep you informed of the progress.

Sincerely, Doris Timm, Finance Director

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