“Housing is a spectrum,” says Mel Willie, senior director of Native American Partnerships and Strategy at NeighborWorks® America. “And we want to reach people on all parts of that spectrum.”
That goal, shared by National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) and Oweesta Corporation, a NeighborWorks network organization, is what spurred The Housing Our Relatives Summit: Collaborative Solutions for Native Communities, to be held in May in Anchorage, Alaska. The summit is being co-hosted by the three nonprofits.
Conversations about the summit started more than a year ago when Willie was talking with Rudy Soto, executive director of NAIHC, and Colleen Echohawk, CEO of Community Roots in Seattle. “We were talking about housing,” Willie recalls. “And we each came at it from a different side. We got into a long discussion about housing, transitional housing, supportive housing and the connection between health and housing.”
The Seattle Indian Health Board and the Urban Indian Health Institute provided the initial seed funding to establish an advisory committee of notable Indian housing practitioners to design the summit; funding from Ameriprise Financial helped NeighborWorks support the planning and development.
There are many organizations doing innovative work in fields along the housing spectrum, Willie says, “and we wanted to be able to capture all of that at a conference. How do we scale local and regional strategies at a national level? What are the resources available? We didn’t want anyone to have to start at the beginning in their learning when there are others who have paved a path.”
Willie’s sister shared a quote with him once that our footsteps are sacred because “where we walk, others will follow.” What means, Willie says, is that by going first, “you’re making it easier for the next person who comes along. That’s something that we need to do.”
Soto shares the sentiment – and the focus.
“Housing is foundational,” he says. “It drives health, education, workforce, and the long-term strength of our communities.
What we’re doing through this summit is connecting the full ecosystem of partners and practitioners so we can move from isolated successes to scalable solutions.
“This is about turning momentum into measurable impact across Indian Country.”
The summit, to be held May 7-8, following the 52nd Annual Convention and Tradeshow , will focus on resources and serve as a connecting point. The goal is for deep conversations – and progress.
“We wanted to hold the summit in a location that signifies a Native area,” Willie shares. “There is no better place than Alaska.”
Alaska is home to one of the country’s largest indigenous populations; the state has 229 federally recognized tribes. “About 20% of the population identifies as Alaska Native or Native American.”
It took a large amount of stakeholder engagement to inform and design the summit. The input resulted in a focus on six communities of practice:
- Expanding Our Housing Supply
- Strengthening Our Solutions with Statewide Strategies
- Advancing Housing for Our Off-Reservation Relatives
- Leveraging Our Partnerships for Homeownership
- Elevating Housing as Our Economic Driver
- Centering Our Health and Wellness
Strengthening Native communities
Oweesta’s work is rooted in supporting and strengthening Native communities, says Heather Rademacher Taylor, chief operating officer. “So being part of the Housing Our Relatives Summit is a way to act on our values and mission. It’s critical that Indigenous, community-embedded voices are leading these conversations and determining solutions. We are honored to be able to partner in this space.”
Oweesta has years of work and partnerships with Native CDFIs, Native Nonprofits, and Tribes, that has shown how deeply housing is tied to Tribal sovereignty, financial health, and overall community well-being, she shares. “There are very real challenges in this space – housing quality, housing stock, capital access, need for appraisers/construction workers/inspectors, local codes – as well as opportunities. But there is a lot of strong leadership within Native communities to address the challenges or seize the opportunities in ways that reflect their respective communities’ values and priorities.”
The upcoming summit will be a place to connect on those opportunities. “The need for culturally grounded, community-driven housing solutions has never been greater,” Rademacher Taylor says. “Native communities are leading this work as an expression of sovereignty. And as genuine partners, we need to ensure they have the resources and support to carry any solutions and innovations forward.”
Tribal housing is at a critical turning point, and collaborative partnerships, like those that will be fostered at the summit, are key.
Jacqueline Pata, president & CEO of Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority and Haa Yakaawu Financial Corp., a NeighborWorks network organization in Juneau, Alaska, believes Alaska is the right place for this conversation.
“Alaska offers the ideal setting,” she says. “Spread across enormous distances with few roads and small rural communities, we’ve learned to operate as one family — collaborating across systems and cultures to build innovative solutions that honor our people and our way of life in the land of the midnight sun.”
Other sponsors for the event so far include US Bank, RCAC, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, RT Hawke and AIMXCEL Incorporated.
Registration is full but a waiting list is available.
Learn more about the Housing Our Relatives Summit.
Stay tuned for strategies and webinars, reflecting on the event and resources for those who cannot attend.
