UPDATE: Emergency Housing Project

Good news! We broke ground on the Emergency Housing Project, and we’re moving forward on construction! This groundbreaking is just the first step of many towards providing affordable housing for our Tribal Members.

Construction for the homes is being funded by an ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) grant. The homes must be used for COVID-related issues, such as quarantining, homelessness, and other issues that might arise for Tribal Members due to COVID-19. Eventually, the homes will not have a specific use, and the Nation will decide how they will be used in the future.

There will be a total of six cottages, fully furnished, each with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and laundry area, as well as a carport with storage. The six emergency cottages are under construction and will be complete by the end of 2022, in accordance with the COVID grant rules and regulations. The cottages will be available for use starting early 2023.

In the meantime, the Housing committee, Housing Committee Chairperson Amy Nuckolls, and Housing Director Michelle Morris, continue to seek and secure new grants. Ms. Morris is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department. And Councilperson Nuckolls spends much of her time laying the groundwork for these ventures.

For Councilperson Nuckolls, housing is more than a job, it’s a passion. “We just have so many members that need housing. I believe everybody deserves a roof over their head,” she said during an interview.

Ensuring Seneca-Cayuga Nation members have access to affordable housing is not just a goal for the current Business Committee, it’s now a plan in motion. With programs like the Emergency Housing Project underway, Tribal leaders are excited for the future of the Nation.

And they hope other Seneca-Cayuga Members are too.