- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Economic Development
Cherokee Nation is using a federal housing loan program to recruit and retain workers in critical public-service roles, becoming the first tribal nation approved to administer the HUD Section 184 Skilled Workers Demonstration Loan Program.
The initiative, developed with the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation, will finance construction of rental homes for employees in hard-to-fill positions across the reservation, beginning with members of the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.
The program allows tribes to use the federal Section 184 loan guarantee framework to develop housing tied to workforce recruitment. Tribal officials said the approach is intended to help address staffing shortages in areas such as law enforcement, health care, education, language programs, housing and construction.
The first phase includes five homes for Cherokee Nation marshals. Construction has begun on two homes in Tahlequah, with additional homes planned in Jay, Sallisaw and Muskogee.
The homes will be offered as affordable rentals to Cherokee Nation employees working in designated skilled occupations. In some cases, workers may have the option to purchase the homes after 10 years.
The Section 184 loan supporting the project was subsidized through the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act. Cherokee Nation has directed more than $120 million toward housing construction under the broader initiative.
Cherokee Nation officials said the skilled-worker housing model could expand to additional communities and employment centers as the tribe continues efforts to address workforce shortages and housing access on the reservation.
