Linking Housing and Economic Development
A Workshop on Removing Siloes and Integrating Community Development Activities
“It’s not our job to tell you how to run your program, build your grant or build whatever you are trying to build. We’re just here to support you with this funding opportunity so can find your own success within your own strategic plan.”
Subject Matter Experts
Key Takeaways
As tribes work on projects to grow and improve their communities, it is essential that all the various sectors of community economic development are involved in the conversation together through a wholistic planning process. When a comprehensive project planning process isn’t utilized, communities may end up with assets that are disconnected from one another; in some cases, communities have completed housing projects without considering transportation networks and other forms of infrastructure such that their projects were built without roads at all.
At other times, communities have completed housing projects without including small businesses and commercial districts which ultimately limits new residents’ access to essential goods and services. On the other hand, wholistic planning processes set in motion from the outset of project development encourages communication between tribal programs and departments as they plan projects that successfully reflect the priorities of the tribe.
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Housing doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it is intrinsically linked to roads, jobs, utilities, and many other areas of community development. Further, there is a need for tribal housing that spans all income levels, ages, and family structures. There is thus a need for local goods, services, infrastructure, jobs and more that can accommodate all income levels, ages, and family structures.
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Tribal communities are looking for ways to develop their community assets through collocation of new assets such as renewable energy, healthcare and community facilities, business incubators, and broadband infrastructure. To complete these broad-ranging and complicated projects, communities are seeking more flexibility from funding programs guidelines and requirements.
Private entities such as Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) can assist with layered projects spanning different sectors of community economic development using tools like New Market Tax Credits, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and gap financing to assist tribal communities in completing projects.
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Federal Agencies offer financing and other technical assistance for native communities to fund community development projects. The funding and programs these agencies offer, however, is often incompatible with one another and thus are difficult or impossible to combine into a single community economic development project. To begin to alleviate this roadblock, various agencies have begun meeting together at regular intervals to discuss opportunities to integrate their respective funding. See this Access to Capital Clearinghouse for federal funding opportunities across all sectors.
Because of the difficulties communities may face understanding and accessing complementary funding programs, several agencies have staff available to help tribal communities navigate both the fundamental requirements and the process of accessing their funding.
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Broadband infrastructure is still lacking in some tribal areas limiting community members' access to grant opportunities and other critical services like tele-healthcare, virtual learning, e-commerce and tele-commuting for work. There are a number of new Federal programs supporting Tribal/community renewable energy projects. Tribes and communities should be strategic and prepared when targeting specific funding programs.
To read more about energy in tribal communities, read the energy event summary.
Resource Roadmap
Much of the discussion at the workshop and in general revolves around integrating the various funding resources and programs that are available. To make this information as organized and useful as possible, we have started to assemble a “Resource Road Map”, the goal of which is to make finding information and funding between different sectors easier.
Agenda Summary
Workshop packet
100 Housing and economic development came together for a pre-conference workshop at the NAIHC Annual Convention. The half-day event united participants with a cross section of subject matter experts to discuss ways to incorporate all the sectors of economic development into more wholistic planning discussions for communities in Indian Country.
The day began with a panel discussion introducing key topics from some of the key federal agencies involved in assisting community economic development. The topics included collaboration among agencies, assistance in navigating grant and funding program language, and new funding portals and programs.
Next, participants took on the role of community planners in an asset mapping exercise for the fictional community of Big Water Falls. The goal of the exercise was to have participants identify the assets of the community then use maps to collocate new assets, such as healthcare facilities or community centers near those that already existed. The intent is to highlight the importance of consideration of all the aspects of community economic development when considering projects for a community.
The participants then spread out into small breakout group discussions around the topics of energy, community facilities and infrastructure, housing as economic development, and economic development funding and finance led by our panelists and additional subject matter experts. The key takeaways from the small group discussions are listed above.
To close out the workshop, our panelists, subject matter experts, and participants came back together as a collective group. The panelists and experts highlighted key topics of discussion from each of the breakout groups before fielding questions from the participants. An open forum discussion around opportunities, challenges, and projects happening in the participant’s communities rounded out the event. This workshop was the beginning of an ongoing conversation geared to integrate all sectors of community economic development into more wholistic planning efforts in tribal communities.
Annotated asset map used during the workshop
Annotated asset map used during the workshop
Housing Resources
a Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based on the Pine Ridge Reservation, has a mission to promote economic sustainability and development for Native people. The CDFI is reaching across Indian country to serve its mission by shortening the gaps in housing and growing the Native home building and construction industry across all tribal Reservations in South Dakota.