 February 10, 2005
According to General Manager Zimmerle, the $4.370 million is approximately $170,000 less than what was requested. Preliminary consultation with THRHA indicates that even with the reduction, there will be sufficient funding identified, or at least potentially available with which to proceed with the development. THRHA cooperated with KIC by sharing its well-learned and earned experience in applying for Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's (AHFC) Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) that is one of the primary sources of funding. The IRS's Tax-Credit program has become one of the nation's most productive and effective delivery mechanism for constructing public housing. This LIHTC Program effectively entices the "for-profit" business world to invest funds in affordable housing projects that would otherwise be impossible to justify without these "tax credits." In Alaska, the program is administered by AHFC and is distributed in complex annual competitions between affordable housing projects. Since Blake Kazama, Executive Director of THRHA and Georgianna Zimmerle, General Manager of KIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 11, 2004 this cooperative venture has moved steadily forward on schedule. The MOU set out terms to cooperate in the development of a project that will serve low income housing populations including persons with household incomes ranging between 30% and 60% of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Median Income Family table for the Ketchikan area. "KIC and THRHA are working together to blaze new trails and pathways to the future and affordable housing for Ketchikan residents," said General Manager Zimmerle. In November 2003 KIC was a successful first-time applicant for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) that was used to purchase 3.49 acres of property located at the top of Jackson Street and Carlanna, the location of the housing development. This lower parcel is below and adjacent to a similar 3.94 acre parcel that was donated to KIC by Delmar Shull in 2000. Along with the lower parcel, KIC will contribute $200,000 of its HUD Office of Native American Housing (ONAP) funding to the project. KIC has been instrumental in providing local agency coordination and support. KIC and THRHA are working cooperatively to identify and assist those families who wish to apply for this lease/purchase program. Ketchikan Indian Community
Tribe is the housing authority for Natives in the Ketchikan area.
The Tribe receives grants from federal and state funding agencies
to deliver many services to the Alaska Natives including health
care, housing, educational services, training, job services,
and jobs. KIC's Housing Authority offers a variety of housing
programs including cooperation with the BIA Home Improvement
Program to make available affordable housing services for its
members.
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