Housing Authority ushered in housing services

This article appeared in the October 2022 edition of the Chickasaw Times

Established in 1966, the Chickasaw Housing Authority was one of the first such entities in the state formed with the mission to extend housing programs to Chickasaw people.

It was organized just three years after Overton James’ appointment as Governor of the Chickasaw Nation and before the existence of tribal headquarters or businesses. The Chickasaw Housing Authority’s function was to administer programs from a new federal agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Chickasaw Nation boundaries.

Governor Bill Anoatubby said the Housing Authority served as the foundation for the wide range of housing services now offered by the tribe.

“Establishing the Housing Authority was the first step in our efforts to help meet the housing needs of our citizens,” Gov. Anoatubby said in 2016. “Since then, housing has remained a high priority for the Chickasaw Nation, because high quality affordable housing is essential to enhancing the quality of life of our citizens. Five decades later, the Housing Authority still plays an important role in our service to the Chickasaw people.”

The Oklahoma Housing Authority Act of 1965 allowed for the creation of the Chickasaw Housing Authority. The Act recognized the need for safe, decent and affordable housing for low-income families within the state and allowed the establishment of public and First American housing authorities to administer housing programs for the tribes and cities of Oklahoma.

Fillmore, 1967

The tiny Johnston County, Oklahoma community of Fillmore was the site of the first housing program offered by the Housing Authority in 1967.

Families took part in the mutual help home ownership program and willingly invested their time and effort, known as “sweat equity,” in the construction in order to be involved in becoming homeowners. They cleaned, moved rubble, laid foundations or performed other tasks as an in-kind down payment.

The program was successful. As reported in a 1992 Chickasaw Times article, 1,864 mutual help homes were completed in the Chickasaw Housing Authority’s 25-year history.

Homeowners made monthly payments for 25 years. At the end of the term, the Chickasaw Housing Authority returned the deeds to the land and houses to the families.

Gov. Anoatubby led a special ceremony in April 1995 at the Chickasaw Motor Inn in Sulphur, Okla., to present 75 families warranty deeds to celebrate their achievement.

Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, the Chickasaw Housing Authority worked hard to secure limited and extremely competitive HUD grants to fund projects.

Yet, First American tribes faced an uneven playing field during the early years, Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Community Services Wayne Scribner said.

“You competed against all the bigger cities,” Mr. Scribner said in 2016. “We were in the same boat as big cities in terms of gaining federal funds for housing. We were kind of a small fish in a big sea.”

Undeterred, the Housing Authority and the Chickasaw Nation worked diligently to develop several housing programs, including home ownership services and rental assistance for low-income residents. While there was a Chickasaw preference for services, the Housing Authority also served other low-income residents of Oklahoma.

The Indian Housing Act of 1988, a housing program developed specifically for First Americans, provided another step toward assisting Chickasaw people to obtain safe homes.

The 1988 act streamlined acquiring grant funds for the Chickasaw Housing Authority. The Act amended the 1937 Public Housing Act, added funding and regulations specific to First American housing authorities and created a First American housing unit that addressed First Americans’ unique needs.

Gov. Anoatubby testified before the U.S. Congress on several aspects of the legislation, helping make it more effective in addressing the needs of Chickasaws and all First Americans in Oklahoma.

NAHASDA opens doors

The ability to expand housing programs came with the 1996 passage of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, or NAHASDA, which allowed tribes to receive and control the use of HUD funds directly.

“Passage of NAHASDA was a major milestone, because it allowed more flexibility to tailor our housing programs to the specific needs of our citizens,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “We believe it is important to listen to the people to better understand how we can best meet their needs.”

Gov. Anoatubby served on the original negotiated rulemaking committee charged with developing regulations necessary to implement the legislation.

The legislation further simplified the system of providing housing assistance to First American communities by consolidating the myriad programs previously available to tribes into a single grant program known as the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG).

Under NAHASDA, the Chickasaw Nation assumed responsibility for the administration of its housing services. Some tribes dissolved their housing authorities after the passage of NAHASDA, but the Chickasaw Nation chose to continue its Housing Authority working alongside the Chickasaw Nation Divison of Housing. To this day, the Chickasaw Housing Authority continues to be a sub recipient of NAHASDA funds.

After the introduction of NAHASDA, housing specifications for Chickasaw families increased considerably in size and added modern amenities such as carpeting and central heating and air conditioning.

Meetings to determine what building programs and services would most benefit Chickasaw families resulted in the development of new programs.

“From these meetings, among other things, we discovered that nearly 60% of the home loan applications being submitted by Chickasaws were being turned down by lenders,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “We wanted to address this issue, so, the Chuka Chukmasi Home Loan Program was developed.”

In the two decades since Chuka Chukmasi was established, it has facilitated millions of dollars in loans to scores of families, setting them on the path to home ownership.

Since the passage of NAHASDA in 1996, the Chickasaw Nation has developed a wide variety of housing services in addition to home ownership and rental assistance for low-income families. They include home ownership counseling and home loan services, home maintenance and repair, as well as home improvement assistance, driveway construction and storm shelter installation.

In 2022, the Chickasaw Housing Authority board of commissioners, appointed by Gov. Anoatubby, meets monthly to install policies and approve formal resolutions as the Chickasaw Nation continues to develop quality, affordable housing for Chickasaw families.