Thirty-one single-family homes for senior citizens will be built on the Rocky Boy’s Reservation over the next five years.
The homes will fill some of the overwhelming need for housing on the reservation, said Allen LaMere, executive director of the Chippewa Cree Housing Authority.
The homes will be built adjacent to the Rocky Boy Health Clinic, making it easier for seniors to access health care, he said. The development will be financed by a $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Monday by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
LaMere said the apartments will be built at a yearly rate of about seven or eight over the next five years. He expects construction to begin by spring. The first residents “should be able to move in by this time next year,” he said.
Don’t miss any news. Sign up for the free Herald newsletter to receive the latest news delivered straight into your inbox
The homes will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said. They also will be part of the master plan for that part of the reservation, LaMere said.
An apartment complex for families will be built across the street, he said. The housing authority has just received information on a new program that the reservation may be eligible for that would help with financing that project.
Eventually, the Chippewa Cree Tribe would like to build a new tribal headquarters in the vicinity, according to LaMere. Over the years, more tribal offices that were once in Rocky Boy Agency have been moved to that area. Stone Child College, the criminal justice center and the clinic have already been built there.
“We are desperate for housing out here,” LaMere said.
Using insurance funds, a three-bedroom home that was recently gutted by fire has been rebuilt by the housing authority, he said.
“Every Montanan deserves to have a place they can call home,” Tester said in making the grant announcement. “This grant will help the Chippewa Cree Tribe make that goal a reality for families, and will give more folks in Indian country a safe, affordable place to live.”
Correction: This story has been updated to say the housing will be single-family homes, not apartments.
Email John Kelleher at [email protected]
- More