Not So Tiny: CVRF’s Rural Housing Program

COMMUNITY ESSENTIALS Not So Tiny

CVRF’s Rural Housing Program

Originally known as the Tiny House Program, CVRF’s Rural Housing Program has expanded to be much more than a construction company for sustainable homes. It provides residents with an opportunity to purchase housing that meets their needs, with flexible floor plan options so that a resident can more comfortably raise a family or care for their elders in a multigenerational family setting. Beyond that, CVRF works with community and organizational partners to finance homes and help prospective homeowners secure home loans. In this capacity, CVRF coordinates with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Nunakauiak Yup’ik Corporation (NYC), Nunakauyak Traditional Council (NTC) and others. Representatives from these organizations met with CVRF staff and Toksook Bay residents in March 2020 to discuss housing projects in the community.

By coordinating with such organizations, CVRF has been able to develop a multi-phase housing process that includes surveying suitable land for new construction, gauging community interest, assisting residents with applying for loans, training in-region construction crews, building homes and connecting them to sewer and water. This process takes time to get right, but it has multiple benefits. With this extra time, CVRF can do more on behalf of applicants, such as assist eligible applicants in securing an additional $75,000 in funding from BIA. We also use the time to train local crews, which provides in-region job opportunities and contributes to the local economy. As a result, an in-region crew trained on previous CVRF housing projects was able to complete the construction of a home in Chevak in 2020, when CVRF staff were unable to travel. Meanwhile, program staff provided subsidies and helped five more applicants secure loans for homes built in summer 2021.

Our housing program has already made a significant impact on the lives of our residents. One homeowner, CLIFFORD PANIYAK of Chevak, said that, after his family moved into their new home in 2019, others were inspired to fill out applications for houses. “It’s a good feeling, knowing you’ve helped give people hope.” For Clifford, buying this house was the realization of a long-cherished dream of living under his own roof, giving his kids their own room and being able to just take for granted that, when he turns on the faucet, water will run. At CVRF, we want every resident who dreams of owning a home to have that opportunity. We look forward to helping more residents achieve that dream in the years to come.