- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Real Estate
The Cherokee Nation announced the opening of Sallisaw Redbird Smith Estates, a 16-acre subdivision that will house 33 families when complete.
Twelve families have already moved into homes funded through the tribe’s Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act. The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation offers the properties under a lease-to-own program.
“Cherokee Nation is building us homes. It’s a great thing. The kids and I are so happy,” resident Anghelina McHenry said in a statement. “My kids will have a stable place and the house is amazing.”
The 12 homes range from 1,644 to 1,745 square feet with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage. Construction includes Cherokee cultural elements, such as kitchen tile work reflecting traditional basket-weave patterns.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the development addresses the region’s housing crisis. A Cherokee Nation housing study identified a $1.75 billion regional housing deficit.
“Housing insecurity impacts all of us in some way,” Hoskin said in a statement. “I can feel a lot of joy listening to the Cherokee leaders who have supported these efforts, and I can feel the joy listening to the Cherokee families who are moving into these new homes.”
The subdivision will add eight duplex units, providing 16 rental units for low-income Cherokee families upon completion. Amenities include a storm shelter, sidewalks, fiber-optic internet, generator connectivity and playground access.
Under the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, the tribe commits $40 million in tribal funds to housing and community-facility infrastructure projects. First enacted in 2019 and amended in 2024, the act has supported the largest housing investment in Cherokee Nation history.
Blue River Architects and Wallace Engineering designed the subdivision. M Cross Construction built the homes with support from Cherokee Nation Businesses Construction team and the tribe’s building trades program.
