Assessment of the Housing Needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians in Washington State
Chief Seattle Club, Seattle, Washington
Project Profile
Project Links:
Housing Washington Conference PowerPoint (PDF)
Presentation of Results to Stakeholders (Feb 2021)
NWIHA Fall Conference PowerPoint (PDF)
Project Coordinators:
Kevin Klingbeil
Big Water Consulting
kevin@bigwaterconsulting.net
Nancy Pindus
Urban Institute
NPindus@urban.org
Lonny Macy
Akana
Lonny.Macy@akana.us
Project Description
In late December of 2019, following consultation and coordination with several Native organizations, the Washington State Department of Commerce selected the partnership of Big Water Consulting, Nancy Pindus of Urban Institute, and Akana to conduct an assessment of the housing needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians in Washington State. The project launched in January 2020 and the final report was submitted to the Department of Commerce in March 2021. The report for this project addresses the current housing needs of Washington’s various Native communities, including tribal and urban Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, as well as various housing needs and barriers specific to certain regions of the state. The report also provides a set of recommendations to local and state authorities to support the development of sufficient and safe housing for Native Americans on and outside of tribal areas and addresses other systemic barriers that prevent or impede access to safe and sufficient housing by Native Americans.
Click Image to View Report
Data Collection Components
Analysis of Existing Data, including HUD’s Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs, the Seattle Indian Service Commission King County American Indian/Alaska Native Housing Needs Assessment, ACS and Census data, mortgage data, and the Indian Housing Plans and Annual Performance Reports for Tribally-Designated Housing Entities in Washington State
Survey of Housing Providers
Survey of Advisory Group Members, including agencies, lenders, consultants, and funding sources
Survey of Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and non-federally recognized tribes
Focus Groups with Housing Providers
Interviews with Knowledgeable Sources
Convenings of Stakeholders and Advisory Group Members (in conjunction with NWIHA, ATNI, NAIHC, Housing Washington and meetings of urban Native housing providers)
Stakeholders and Advisory Group Members
Advisory Group:
Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness
Washington State Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Northwest Office of Native American Programs (NWONAP)
Wendy Lawrence, Opportunity Council
Cielo Gibson, Tribal Housing Consultant
Doug Chapiewsky and James Gutierrez, Housing Data Systems (HDS)
Ed Goodman, Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP
Darkfeather Ancheta, 1st Tribal Lending
Zoe LeBeau and Katie Symons, Beaux Simone Consulting
RTHawk Housing Alliance, LLC
Joseph Kunkel and Nathaniel Corum, MASS Design/Sustainable Native Communities
Joanna Donohoe, Seven Sisters Community Development Group
Hawaii Radio Connection
King County Housing Authority
Beacon Development
Enterprise Community Partners
Native Community Capital
Tacoma Rescue Mission
Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority/HYFC
Travois
USDA Rural Development
Washington State Housing Finance Commission
Washington State Department of Commerce
Washington State Housing Trust Fund
Northwest Indian Housing Association (NWIHA)
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI)
Stakeholders:
Chehalis Housing Authority
Colville Indian Housing Authority *
Cowlitz Indian Tribal Housing
Hoh Indian Tribe *
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Kalispel Tribe of Indians Housing Office
Lower Elwha Housing Authority
Lummi Housing Authority
Makah Tribal Housing Department
Muckleshoot Housing Authority
Nez Perce Tribal Housing Authority
Nisqually Indian Tribal Housing
Nooksack Indian Housing Authority
Port Gamble S’Klallam Housing Authority
Puyallup Nation Housing Authority
Quileute Housing Authority
Quinault Housing Authority
Samish Indian Nation Housing Department
Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe Housing Department
Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe
Skokomish Tribe
Snoqualmie Tribe
Spokane Indian Housing Authority
Squaxin Island Tribe
Stillaguamish Tribe
Suquamish Tribe
Swinomish Housing Authority
Tulalip Housing Department
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe *
Yakama Nation Housing Authority
Chief Seattle Club
Seattle Indian Health Board
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation
Mother Nation
Catholic Community Services
Moku`aina A Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club
*Indicates invited stakeholder who declined or did not respond
Project Timeline
January-May 2020
Phase One: Initial Stakeholder Outreach, Literature Review, Initial Data Collection
Briefing sheet and introductory presentation provided to stakeholders
Review of relevant local, state, regional and national tribal housing studies, policies and data
Invitation sent to stakeholders and advisory group members, including request for recommendations regarding those who should be included in the process; Request nominations for chairs of stakeholder and advisory groups and conduct voting process
Development and distribution of online form for collection of primary information from stakeholders and advisory group members, distributed to stakeholder and advisory group chairs for review and comment
May-September 2020
Phase Two: Focus Groups, Surveys, and Continued Data Collection and Compilation
Focus groups with community members by region or housing type: coastal, Puget Sound corridor, eastern Washington/Columbia River, urban Native housing, Native Hawaiians in Washington, Alaska Natives in Washington
Distribution of invitation and link to online survey instruments to 1) housing providers, and 2) agencies, lenders, developers, supportive service providers and other facilitators of housing development 3) Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and members of non-federally recognized tribes
September-November 2020
Phase Three: Survey Data Analysis, Initial Findings Presentation, and Key Informant Interviews
Compile, clean and analyze collected survey data
Presentation of initial findings at Northwest Indian Housing Association Fall Conference (Sept 23)
Individual interviews with selected housing providers, elected officials, regulators and facilitators of housing development (in coordination with stakeholder and advisory group chairs)
December 2020 - February 2021
Phase Four: Compile Report and Present Study Findings
Final report drafted and reviewed by stakeholder group
Presentation of results to stakeholder group (Feb 9)
Report submitted to WA State Department of Commerce on March 1, 2021