Chairwoman of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Delores Pigsley celebrates at a ribbon cutting ceremony of a new affordable housing complex for tribal members in Salem. (Courtesy of National American Indian Housing Council)
As of Wednesday, 20 tribal families are moving into one of Salem’s newest affordable housing projects.
Members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the city of Salem and Oregon housing advocates celebrated the opening of Kloshe Illahee Haws, a 40-unit affordable housing project spanning nearly 9 acres in northeast Salem.
The development, which means “good valley homes” in the Siletz tribal language, prioritizes low-income Native American households, with preference given to members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. It reflects a broader regional trend of Pacific Northwest tribes investing in affordable housing within urban spaces
The tribes contributed $8.5 million to the project and secured an additional $9 million in federal grant funding. The city of Salem provided planning approvals and consultation throughout development.
Half of the units are reserved for households earning below 80% of the area median income, with rent capped at 30% of income. The remaining units are offered at affordable rates for households earning above that threshold.
“This project serves as an example of how the Siletz Tribe and the city of Salem can work together to identify areas of need and elevate the level of services in the community,” Salem Mayor Julie Hoy said in a statement. “This project is proof that when we come together — with respect, with shared values and with a commitment to equity — we can do incredible things.”
Since the mid-2010s, Oregon’s population outpaced its construction of housing units. The state’s housing shortage disproportionately affects people of color, state data shows.
American Indian and Alaska Native communities experience the second highest rate of housing cost burden in Oregon, with 50% of the population spending a disproportionate share of their income on rent. This follows Black individuals, 60% of whom face similar financial strain, according to Oregon Housing and Community Services.
The Salem development includes townhomes, triplexes, a community center, playground and a garden space. It’s more than just affordable housing, Siletz Housing Executive Director Sami Jo Difuntorum told the Capital Chronicle, but it’s giving tribal members a sense of community within urban spaces.
Kloshe Illahee Haws, which means “good valley homes” in the Siletz tribal language spans 9 acres in northeast Salem. (Courtesy of National American Indian Housing Council)
“People have asked, ‘why Salem?’” Difuntorum said. “It’s because our population is there. That’s actually where Siletz people lived for a very long time at Chemewa Indian School. The second largest population center for the tribe is in Salem, behind Siletz and Newport.”
The tribe began accepting applications in June and has since filled 20 units. The remaining units are expected to be filled by November, Difuntorum said.
Other Pacific Northwest projects offer Native American housing in urban spaces
Urban housing options for Native Americans help ease some of the obstacles tribal members face when trying to build on reservation land, National American Indian Housing Council Executive Director Rudy Soto told the Capital Chronicle.
This includes facing complicated loan procedures, limited access to contractors and construction workers and additional layers of red tape and environmental review, he said.
Oregon’s housing shortage creates additional challenges for tribal members, many of whom want to remain within their communities, he said. However, doing so often results in overcrowded living conditions and limited access to nearby jobs, schools, and essential social services.
Projects like Kloshe Illahee Haws ease those gaps, Soto said.
Similar housing developments include Nesika Illahee in Northeast Portland. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians alongside the Native American Youth and Family Center and the Native American Rehabilitation Association provide 59 affordable housing units to the city’s Native American community, with Siletz preference in 20 units.
And in August, Native American Youth and Family Center also led the groundbreaking of a 95-unit affordable housing project for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe in the Waterfront Gateway District in Vancouver, Washington.
“By leveraging their own resources alongside state and federal funding — including dollars appropriated by Congress through the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act — Tribes are meeting a pressing need for safe, affordable homes for Native families,” Soto said.
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