The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California has had a housing waiting list for about as long as it has had a housing program. A new federal grant will put 10 more families in homes they can eventually own.
The Washoe Housing Authority, an arm of the tribe, won $4,966,168 in Indian Housing Block Grant competitive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in September, the Reno News & Review reported. The money will build 10 single-family houses in the Stewart Community in Carson City, near the southern end of Interstate 580.
"We have a wait list that has been ongoing since (the housing program) was created back in the '70s," Martin Montgomery, the authority's executive director, told the paper.
Building on an earlier grant
The new homes add to work already underway. A 2024 Indian Housing Block Grant of exactly $5 million is paying for two houses and infrastructure in the Stewart Community, including about 30 lots, according to the News & Review.
"All 12 will be single family homes," Montgomery said. "We are going to be doing a lease to purchase—so, 'home ownership' houses."
The Washoe award was part of a national round. HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced $150 million in Indian Housing Block Grant competitive awards to 31 tribal communities on Sept. 3, at the close of the agency's National Tribal Housing Summit, according to HUD. HUD's published awardee list shows the Washoe Housing Authority receiving $4,966,168 for 10 units, the only Nevada award in the round.
HUD calls the Indian Housing Block Grant the single largest source of housing assistance for Native Americans. Most of the program's money goes out by formula, but the competitive portion gives priority to new construction and rehab projects.
The authority now manages 103 units in four communities in Carson City, Gardnerville and Woodfords, Calif., a few miles south of the state line. Montgomery said about 60 families are on the waiting list. The tribe has about 1,300 members.
"For the population size that we have, it's pretty significant," he said.
The list includes young families and elders, and their needs can differ. "There's a variety, and a wide need for single-family housing all the way up to duplexes and things like that," Montgomery said. "It's a challenge for sure."
Everyday homes, built to adapt
The houses are designed by Berger Hannafin Architecture of Carson City and will have three or four bedrooms, vaulted ceilings and roomy living and dining areas.
"They're like an everyday kind of home that you'd find anywhere around Northern Nevada," Montgomery said.
They'll also be built so they can be converted for ADA compliance if needed. Doors will be six inches wider than standard from the start, and bathrooms are designed so grab bars or handrails can be added easily.
"We're trying to build our community," Montgomery said, adding that quality construction pays off over the long haul.
"I always feel like if you put people in good, quality homes, they'll last longer—you're going to reduce your maintenance over time," he said. "And not only that, but if they feel like it's a nice place, hopefully they'll take care of it, they'll enjoy it. … They're going to raise their family there. And so having a feel of ownership over it—it's great."
The News & Review did not report a construction schedule or name a builder for the homes.
Why it matters for Contractors
Ten houses won't fill a big builder's calendar, but federally funded tribal housing is steady, repeat work for small and mid-size residential contractors in the Carson Valley. The Washoe Housing Authority has now won back-to-back $5 million grants for the same community, and it already has about 30 lots served by infrastructure, which leaves room to keep building. The homes are straightforward three- and four-bedroom designs, but the wider doors and blocking for future grab bars mean framers, door and trim installers and plumbers need to follow the plans closely. Contractors interested in this kind of work should watch for bid notices from the housing authority and learn any federal requirements that come with the money before they price a job in the Stewart Community or elsewhere.