New Year, New Beginning - Welcome, New Executive Directors

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Dear UNAHA membership;

I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year! In the words of our dear friend “I greet each one of you with a warm handshake”. As we look to this new year it is with sincere hope that all of our challenges will be met head on and we will have the ability to persevere. I hope that this winter has not been too hard so far. Here in western Montana we have had a fair amount of cold weather and snow, and I am ready for warmer temperatures.

For those of you that were able to make it to Las Vegas in December I hope it was a successful and productive UNAHA meeting for you. We had a good turn out once all our membership made it to the meeting location. I want to apologize for the confusion on the meeting time, but it was good to see everyone. It seems that we continue to move forward without much information from Washington on the progress of our NAHASDA funding levels for FY 2018. With the changes in the funding formula, unfortunately, the UNAHA regions lose funding overall. A few tribes gain but a greater number of tribes see a funding decrease. The major change in the funding formula is the use of the American Community Survey (ACS) data from the US Census office. It is imperative for our membership to relate to your congressional representatives how these changes in the funding formula effects your housing program.

The UNAHA board and staff are putting together the details of the UNAHA annual meeting that will take place in Lakewood, Colorado on April 9 – 11, 2018. Please be on the look out for the hotel and meeting details soon. Once again, our annual meeting will be held in conjunction with the All-West 100 Native American Basketball Classic. This year will be the 33rd year of the Classic and we look forward to seeing you and your teams at the Classic. Please remind your coaches that we will be checking teams in on Thursday night April 5th and the Classic will start on the morning of April 6th. The Classic is capped at the first 100 teams to sign up so don’t miss out on getting your teams in this year’s tournament.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me, your board members or your UNAHA staff.

Sincerely,

Jason Adams

UNAHA Leadership

UNAHA Chairman-Jason Adams
Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority
PO Box 38, Pablo, MT 59855
Phone: (406) 675-4491
Fax: (406) 675-4495

UNAHA Vice Chair-Sharon Vogel
Cheyenne River Housing Authority
PO Box 480, Eagle Butte SD 57625
Phone: (605) 964-4265 ext. 132
Fax: (605) 964-1070

UNAHA Treasurer-Joey Nathan
Northern Ponca Housing Authority
1501 W Michigan Avenue
Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone: (402) 379-8224
Fax: (402)379-8557

UNAHA Secretary-Iva Grainger
Fort Peck Housing Authority
PO Box 667, Poplar MT 59255
Phone: (406) 768-3459 ext. 31

Administrative Directors
Gauthier Agency LLC
Bob & Myrna Gauthier
63316 US HWY 93
Ronan MT, 59864
Phone: 406 676-8445
Fax: 406 676-8444

Schedule of Events

Thursday April 5th through Sunday April 8, 32nd All-West Classic Basketball Tournament – Gold Crown Center

Monday April 9 – UNAHA Annual Business Meeting and Banquet

8:30 Continental Breakfast
9:00 Call to order/roll call – Chairman Jason Adams
9:05 Opening prayer
9:10 Approval of Agenda
9:15 Minutes of regular meeting at Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada December 3, 2017 – Secretary Iva Grainger
9:20 Chairman’s report – Jason Adams
9:25 Treasurer’s report – Joey Nathan
9:30 Election of 2018 – 2020 officers:
- Vice-Chairman
- Treasure
10:00 HUD Presentation – Heidi Frechette, Deputy Assistant Secretary, (invited) ONAP, Randy Akers, Administrator, Denver Office of Native American Programs.
10:30 Break
10:45 NAIHC Reps: Chancy Kittson, Stuart Langdeau
11:00 AMERIND Report: Amerind Risk, Lafe Haugen, Sharon Vogel, Board members
11:20 Administrators Report
- HUD Community Compass progress
- Associate memberships
- Training Committee
- Summer Meeting - Nebraska
12:00 Lunch on your own
1:30 Legislative/Legal Report - Wagenlander – Heisterkamp
- Update on Congressional action
2:45 Break
3:00 Old Business:
- NAIHC Resolution development and other matters related to National issues from March Legislative Conference.
3:30 Round Table Discussion – Participating members
4:30 Region V Caucus – Amerind Board Election

Annual Awards Banquet - Ball Room Lakewood Holiday Inn

6:00 PM Social Hour
7:00 Banquet (must reserve dinner choice during on-line registration)

Tuesday April 10 – NAHASDA Basics

8:30 Continental Breakfast
9:00 Prayer
9:05 History of Indian Housing – Bob Gauthier
10:00 Break
10:15 UNAHA Leadership Role in development of NAHASDA – Jim Waganlander
10:45 Eligible Activities and eligible families
11:30 Program Income rules and non-program income
12:00 Lunch On your own
1:15 Operating housing like a business
2:15 Break
2:30 UNAHA Training Committee – Reviewing Indian Housing training proposal draft

Wednesday April 11 – Technical Training

8:30 Continental Breakfast
9:00 Prayer
9:05 HUD ONAP staff – Training on new EPIC reporting system to go active 5/1 2018
10:15 Break
10:30 Fifteen year options for Low Income Housing Tax Credit Projects
12:00 Adjourn

Eventbrite - 2018 UNAHA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet

Please register online prior to the Meeting so we will know how many people to expect for the Awards Banquet on Monday night. Don't forget to choose your meal during the checkout process! Please email admin@unaha.org or call the office at (406) 676-8449 if you have any questions or need additional information.

33rd AMERIND All West
Native American 100 Basketball Classic
April 5-8, 2018

The 33rd Annual AMERIND All West Native American 100 Basketball Classic and Youth Weekend will be held the weekend of April 5-8, 2018 at the Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood, Colorado. Registration will be Thursday evening, April 5 followed by the Denver Nuggets taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves with an 8:30 tip-off for a nationally-televised game. Tournament games will be played beginning Friday morning, April 6 and concluding with championships on Sunday afternoon, April 8. Tournament activities will include special guest speakers, slam-dunk and three-point shooting contests, and specially discounted tickets to a Denver Nuggets game Thursday night. UNAHA and All West are also pleased to announce that the Nike N7 Foundation is returning for its second year of support and sponsorship.

WE’RE NOW THE AMERIND ALL WEST 100! -- For the second year in a row, the AMERIND All West will cap registration at 100 teams. Popularity and the limited number of hours in the weekend have required the limitation in order to get all teams a full schedule of games. After 100 registrations have been received, a waiting list will be established to fill spots for any teams who can’t make it.

REGISTRATION - LIMITED SPOTS
Attached you will find the 2018 AMERIND All West 100 Registration form including info for hotels and Nuggets tickets. Registration will be limited to the the FIRST 100 TEAMS TO CONFIRM. (If you are not one of the first 100 teams, we will place you on a waiting list.)

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS - DEADLINE FEBRUARY 1
Encourage eligible students to apply for a college scholarship through the Mark K. Ulmer Native American Scholarship Foundation. Applying is easy! Visit www.markulmerscholarship.org or phone/fax 513-271-0290. This scholarship is open only to seniors/graduates who are All-West Tournament participants. Dozens of past participants have gone on to successful college careers with the help of an Ulmer Scholarship. Change your future for the better!

COACHES MEETING - THURSDAY, APRIL 5
The Coaches meeting will take place at 5:00 PM at the Holiday Inn, 7390 W. Hampden Ave, Lakewood, CO on Thursday, April 5.. All teams must check in and pick up rules and schedules at this meeting. Games will begin on Friday morning, April 6 at the Gold Crown Filed House.

FACEBOOK GROUP NOW 1000 MEMBERS STRONG -- The All West Classic has also maintained a FaceBook group page for the past two years. The FB group page passed 1000 members this month and has become a good location for regional teams, recruiters, and coaches to find information about the Classic, the Ulmer Scholarship, and other tournaments and scholarships that are available to All West players. And, of course, we love to post pictures of all the great participants and winners there as well! Find and join the group at AMERIND All West Native American Basketball Classic

All information including hotel and registration information are also available on the UNAHA Website under Upcoming Events

Letter to UNAHA Membership from Administrator

A New Year is upon us and I want to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” from Myrna and I for the support and friendship all of you have shown us over the past five years as your UNAHA partner. We also wish each of you a Happy New Year.

It is only natural as we get older to get more philosophical and less intense and I think this past year or two has reminded me why that is. When I see long time, strong, committed leaders, pass on after giving 100 per cent to their mission, I am reminded why we all do our work. Losing Wayne Ducheneaux a few years back then Paul Iron Cloud and Jack Sawyers last year and now Joann Lemmon over the Holidays has given me pause and reminded me of the commitment each of these UNAHA leaders had to our Association over the years and their recognition of the value of the organization to be the agent of change. They were committed, took leadership positions, spoke up and showed their commitment through participation. All of them made a difference to their tribes and Indian country overall. Thousands of Indian families have better housing due to their efforts.

I was reminded of the impact Paul Iron Cloud had with his people when I was invited to speak last month at the Fourth annual Oglala Housing Conference in Rapid City. The entire conference was dedicated to Paul and his work with Pine Ridge. I was honored to represent UNAHA at this conference and came home recommitted to continue to develop resources and partners to address the unacceptable housing conditions we face in our Region and across Indian Country.

I remember the at the beginning of UNAHA, I met Joann Lemmon and she had that knowing soft smile on her face and had a calming effect on some of us fired up ones. She never missed a meeting in those important early years and was a loyal UNAHA advocate. We will miss her.

Now some updates. Myrna and Charmel attended a Community Compass training session in Washington DC last fall. We have now received four training and technical assistance assignments from HUD that we have developed training plans for. We will have much more on this contract in April at our annual meeting.

The concept developed by the UNAHA training committee at our August UNAHA meeting, for a “Indian Housing Boot Camp” is now in draft form and will be going to committee members for discussion later this month. HUD has agreed to the concept and has agreed to pay for the training once we get a curriculum developed and approved. Hopefully that will happen in the next 30 days.

We have also executed the Enterprise Grant and are working on identifying a contractor qualified to develop the appropriate language for a “Mitigation Agreement” for trust land loans.

Finally, I want to tell you my concern for stability in trained, qualified staffing of our member housing authorities. This past few months has created 12 new or vacant executive director positions in our 34 members. This kind of change is challenging to those tribes but also to our organization. I was grateful to see 21 members attend our winter meeting in Las Vegas in December. Great information was provided and our mission was defined. Let’s go to work.

Bob Gauthier

JOANN LEMMON
December 24, 1937 - December 22, 2017

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend went to heaven on December 22, 2017. She was just 2 days short of her 80th birthday.
Joann was born December 24,1937 in Neodesha, KS. to William H. Elam and Jeanette (Burton) Elam. She spent her growing up years in Rangely, Colo. where she met her best friend and husband Dale Lemmon.
Joann was very involved in her school years and had a great academic record. She was the rodeo queen and loved riding and camping with her friends.
On December 9, 1956 she married Dale Lemmon in Elko, NV. They were the loving parents of 5 daughters. They celebrated 60 years of marriage on December 9, 2016. Joann and Dale moved to Cortez in 1963 and never looked back. They raised their family here and became pillars of the community.

When the girls were almost grown Joann went into the workforce. She worked at Maley’s Tax Service, Ute Mountain Pottery and finally ended up at Ute Mountain Ute Housing Authority. She worked her way up to Director and was still employed at the time of her death. She made a big difference and was truly loved by her co-workers and the people of Towaoc. In her years as Director she was very proud of the fact that her yearly audits never had any findings. She won many awards and honors. Her intelligence and integrity made her family very proud.
She was a very sweet spirit and loved her God. She very rarely lost her temper and was the most non-judgmental person most people have ever known. She always put other people before herself. The love for her family was a rare and precious gift.
Joann is survived by her sister Jan (Gerry) Kocjan of Page AZ, Her sister in law Elanor Spencer of Roy UT, Angel Sister Rosalee Neiberger of Rangley, CO; her daughters Roxy (Johnny) Holaday of Cahone,CO, Renee’(Tony) Galyon of Castle Rock, CO, Robin (Steve) Semadeni of Salt Lake City, UT, Rochelle (Cheryl) Berlemon of Yaphank, NY, Christine (Eddie) Kaiser of Cortez,CO; 20 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Joann was preceded in death by her loving husband Dale Lemmon, her parents Bill and Jeanette Elam, her in-laws, Al and Grace Lemmon, brother in-law Paul Spencer, grandchildren Joshua Semadeni and Mackenzie Kaiser.

“We love you and will see you in 15 minutes”

Please visit our website www.unaha.org for up-to-date training and grant information and employment opportunities

NPONAP Updates

The Northern Plains has nine (9) regional trainings planned for 2018. NPONAP is introducing several new training courses to meet specific needs in the region. On February 27-28, NPONAP is hosting Environmental Review: A Study of Housing Rehabilitation Projects in Denver. This training will provide information on distinguishing between routine maintenance and rehabilitation activities, documenting a determination for the activity and project type, and conducting environmental reviews for housing rehabilitation projects. Executive Director Training is planned in May in Denver. While this is not a new training, there is a new structure for the training that will provide an in-depth look at the roles and responsibilities of an Executive Director, allow seasoned Executive Directors to mentor new Executive Directors, and ensure best-practice sharing among all participants.

In coordination with UNAHA, NPONAP is developing a NAHASDA Boot Camp. The NAHASDA Boot Camp is planned to be a five-day intensive course immersing participants in all major components of NAHASDA. Each employee at a Tribal Housing Department or Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE) has specific responsibilities; following the rules in one area impacts the function of the entire organization. The course will provide a background on NAHASDA and the implementing regulations for planning and organization, financial management, maintenance, admissions and occupancy, and procurement. New and existing staff at Tribal Housing Departments and TDHEs will benefit from this training.

All training opportunities are listed on CodeTalk along with links to register for the events.

ONAP Staff Updates

ONAP Headquarters has some changes in the roles of key staff. Here are the ONAP Headquarters leadership changes:

Thomas Wright, Senior Native American Policy Analyst, Office of Headquarters Operations:

Thomas Wright is overseeing the consultation and creation of the Section 184 regulations. Under his leadership the Section 184 program, through the Office of Loan Guarantee, has guaranteed over 33,000 loans, representing over $5.4 billion dollars in increased capital into Native American Communities.

Krisa Johnson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Loan Guarantee:

Krisa Johnson worked in the Office of Loan Guarantee (OLG) for several years and has the qualifying experience to handle the day-to-day operations as the Acting Deputy Director. She will serve OLG in continuing to provide home financing to Native American Communities.

Hilary Atkin, Acting Director of Grants Evaluation, Office of Grants Evaluation:

With the retirement of Jennifer Bullough, ONAP Headquarters appointed Hilary Atkins as the Acting Director of Grants Evaluation. Many program participants are familiar with Hilary as the Program Environmental Clearance Officer for ONAP. She has provided leadership and coordination on a variety of projects and initiatives during her time at ONAP, and has demonstrated that she has the qualities and experience that will make her an effective Acting Director of Grants Evaluation.

ONAP welcomes these leaders into their respective positions.

UNAHA TRAINING COMMITTEE UPDATE

One of original purposes for the creation of the UNITED NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING ASSOCIATION over 30 years ago was the recognized need for training. That meant the Tribes and housing authorities realized that the best examples of how to operate an Indian Housing Program often came from other members. This focused on policies and procedures. HUD has always been our partner but sometimes their perception of the Regulations and next steps were different than the Tribes’.

At the urging of the UNAHA Board, we revitalized the UNAHA training committee at last summer’s UNAHA meeting in Polson at the KwaTuqNuk Resort. Over 20 members attended the meeting which included HUD reps. We felt like we gained much knowledge from that meeting. Based on that meeting, we have been developing, as a first exercise, a certification course that would give new members and experienced staff an opportunity to learn more about some of the issues we all face today in Indian Housing. It might be an enhanced experience with tenant management, or new policies related to drug activity or an innovative home ownership program. For certain, it will cover NAHASDA essential information. It might be the appropriate training for new staff and Board members. It may be we develop more than one curriculum.

The idea from the committee was to develop a course, review it at next UNAHA meeting and end up with a final draft for our summer meeting, ready for approval. We have kept NPONAP informed of our progress and they have agreed to participate and help us cover expenses with Community Compass funding.

We have scheduled the training committee in Denver for Tuesday, April 10th at 2:30 pm. Please try to attend and provide feedback on this UNAHA initiative. We will also try to identify our next training project at that meeting.

Thank you to our Associate Members!
(Please click on the logo to be directed to their respective websites)

*NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBER*

360 Tribal Consulting

Native American entities across the country have relied on 360 Tribal Consulting for assistance with financial management, audit preparation, and software guidance and support.

As a Native American owned company, 360 Tribal Consulting understands the ins and outs of how Tribes operate. Based in North Dakota, they specialize in working with Native American Housing Authorities, Tribal Schools, Casinos and Gaming Divisions, and other Tribal affiliated branches.

Services offered include fee accounting, budget assistance, audit preparation, IHP Assistance, Self-Monitoring, software consulting, and training and development. 360 Tribal Consulting also offers a Property Management software solution that was specifically built for Native American housing authorities.

Led by Toni Parisien and Carol Rogne, 360 Tribal Consulting has worked with a variety of different tribes including Sisseton Wahpeton Housing Authority, Apsaalooke Nation Housing, Fort Berthold Housing, Crow Creek Housing Authority, and many more.

Jessica Old Elk, Executive Director at Apsaalooke Nation Housing had this to say about working with 360 Tribal Consulting:

“In the 4 years I have worked at the Apsaalooke Nation Housing Authority, I have also had the privilege to work with Candace Wolff and 360 Tribal. I have worked in a few different positions within ANHA and Candace has been there with me every step of the way. When I send a request for assistance she is quick to respond and is always helpful. The entire team at 360 Tribal has been great to work with and are able to help us complete our tasks at hand within a timely manner. They have continuously strived to help us maintain our Financials and Tenant accounting. I appreciate the excellent customer service I have received over the years and am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with 360 Tribal Consulting.”

To contact 360 Tribal Consulting, call 800-277-5561 or email tparisien@360tribalconsulting.com. You can also find additional information online at https://www.360tribalconsulting.com/.

Associate Membership is an important aspect of UNAHA. It is a convenient way for Members to share resources that others might find useful. For example, have you worked with an honest, hard working contractor in your area? Have you found a banker that is confident working with the HUD184 loan? Would you like to recommend him or her to other members in our region? How about accountants, painters, attorneys, maintenance companies, etc.? We would love the opportunity to reach out and offer them an Associate Membership which includes an invitation to our three annual meetings, advertising space in our quarterly newsletter and company information listed on our website. If you or your housing authority has any referrals for Associate Membership, feel free to send us their contact information at admin@unaha.org.

Copyright © *2016* *United Native American Housing Authority*, All rights reserved.

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63316 US Hwy 93
Ronan, MT 59864
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Gauthier Agency, LLC · 63316 US Hwy 93 · Ronan, MT 59864 · USA