- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Real Estate
LAGUNA, N.M. — The Laguna Housing Development and Management Enterprise (LHDME) announced it has secured financing that will pave the way for a new $15 million affordable housing development with 20 townhomes and a community building for members living on the Laguna Pueblo.
In a release, LHDME said it received a 2022 Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award from the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority that generated $7.8 million in investor equity from RBC Community Investments for the development.
The project, LHDME’s third LIHTC development, includes new construction of 20 townhomes in three separate buildings, an attached 1,308-square foot community building and playground areas. The three buildings include 12 two-bedroom units and eight three-bedroom units in a modern, Pueblo-inspired design. The project is targeted to and intentionally designed for families with children.
The new development will provide “needed housing for the low-income families of the Pueblo of Laguna and is the first of a few housing opportunities LHDME and the Pueblo of Laguna are working together on,” Jamie Navenma, executive director of LHDME said in a statement. “Kwa’kwah/Dawa’eh to all who have helped get this project started.”
LHDME partnered with Travois Design, a Kansas City, Mo.-based architecture and consulting firm that specializes in working with tribally designated housing entities, on the project. Travois is a Certified B Corporation focused exclusively on promoting affordable housing and economic development for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities, according to the release.
“We are proud to partner with LDHME on the first new development of affordable housing on the Pueblo in nearly twenty years,” Trent Rogers, senior project manager at Travois, said in a statement. “The new development will provide families with safe, affordable housing and new community amenities.”
Residents will have access to the community building, a basketball court, and accessible playground areas for children under 12 years old. The community building will house supportive services for residents including health and nutrition classes, health screenings, computer training, tutoring, youth character building, and financial literacy.
