Another change has been the tribal council’s realization that it needs to be responsible for maintenance on rental units, according to theday.
One third of the tribe’s 1,000 plus members live on the reservation, occupying roughly 200 homes, w;hich includes 100 that are mortgaged and 20 that are rentals. The remainder have been purchased, as MHProNews has learned. With no state or federal funds being used, the tribe is financing the modular homes through the sale of off-reservation properties, and will use the proceeds from the sale of the new homes to build more.
Built by Westchester Modular Homes of Wingdale, NY, each unit contains three bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, a kitchen, dining room and laundry room and oversize one-car garage. Qualified tribal members can enter the lottery and apply for financing through a Mashantucket Pequot loan program, or the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 184 Loan Program, designed specifically for tribal members. The HUD program offers minimal down payments, low interest rates and protection from predatory lenders.
Jean Swift, the head of the tribe’s Housing Committee, says, “Our vision is to make this the community of choice (for tribal members.). It’s their right, their privilege to live here.” ##
(Photo credit: ruidosonews–modular home for Apache Mescalero Native Americans)
