Osiyo,
Housing is healthcare when the alternative for a Cherokee family is homelessness. A safe, affordable home gives families the stability they need to thrive. That's true across the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and it's especially true in North Tulsa, where the density or need for quality housing has not been met for far too long.
Cherokee Nation recently celebrated an important milestone with the opening of seven new apartments on North Harvard Avenue — the first affordable rental homes our tribe has developed in North Tulsa, a community with deep Cherokee roots and nearly 10,000 Cherokee citizens.
North Tulsa is home to a significant part of our Cherokee population, yet it hasn't always received the attention and investment it deserves. We're focused on changing that.
District 5 Tribal Councilor Dr. Ashley Grant, who represents North Tulsa, has been a strong champion for this community and for bringing more Cherokee Nation investments to the area. Her leadership has helped keep this issue a priority and ensure our citizens are not overlooked.
The seven new apartments, each with two bedrooms and roughly 840 square feet, were developed through a partnership between the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation, Green Country Habitat for Humanity, and the city of Tulsa.
We offered the homes first to Cherokee families who had waited the longest for housing assistance. Families have already moved in, and for them, this is more than a new apartment: It's a chance for greater stability and security.
We know the need is much greater than seven units. Rising rents and limited affordable options continue to put pressure on working families and elders throughout our reservation. That's why Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I made housing one of our administration's highest priorities.
Through the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, Cherokee Nation has committed $40 million in tribal funds every three years, permanently, to housing and community infrastructure. That investment, on top of federal housing resources, has helped us build about 730 homes and repair thousands more since we took office in 2019.
We're making historic progress. But seven apartments alone won't solve the housing challenges facing North Tulsa. However — they're an important first step.
Our Housing Authority plans to purchase these apartments outright by the end of this year. We're also looking forward to the next phase of the Flat Rock Ridge development, including opportunities for Cherokee homeownership and mortgage assistance. And we're exploring additional housing options for Cherokee elders close to our Cherokee Nation Community Center in town, along with making our core programs — healthcare, career and human services — more accessible to local citizens.
Collaborations will remain essential to this vision. I appreciate the Council of the Cherokee Nation, our Housing Authority, Green Country Habitat for Humanity and Tulsa community leaders, especially Mayor Monroe Nichols, for helping make this housing development possible in North Tulsa.
Our high ambition for bringing housing solutions to the entire reservation — including North Tulsa — means we need even more resources than the historic HJSCA can provide, and we cannot wait on the federal government to act. That’s why Deputy Chief Warner and I worked with the Council to declare that a lack of affordable housing is also a public health crisis, unlocking millions of additional dollars annually to fund housing projects.
Our responsibility is to ensure Cherokee families can build better lives, wherever they call home on our 7,000-square-mile reservation. It means we are making investments that last, building strong communities and families, and giving the next generation a stronger foundation for success.
Efforts in North Tulsa are part of our larger effort to take purposeful steps to acknowledge that the community — with a high percentage of Cherokee Nation citizens of Freedmen descent — was left behind by Cherokee Nation for generations. Our housing plans in Tulsa therefore align with our Executive Order on Equality, which mandates those types of purposeful efforts in communities that were historically excluded from major tribal investments.
For seven Cherokee families, that foundation now begins with a place to call home. We have much more work ahead in North Tulsa, and we intend to keep showing up and making progress. Our citizens deserve nothing less.
Wado,
Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Principal Chief
