Secretary Turner Visits the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Inaugural Visit to Indian Country
Hollywood, Fla. – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner visited the Seminole Tribe of Florida to tour the Native Learning Center (NLC) in his inaugural visit to Indian Country as HUD Secretary. While at the NLC, Secretary Turner held a listening session with Executive Director Georgette Smith to hear directly about the need to expand access to housing while considering the unique challenges faced in Tribal communities.
“It was an honor to visit the Native Learning Center of the Seminole Tribe in Florida. Indian Country is an important part of HUD’s mission of service – we must expand access to affordable, quality housing in all communities – Tribal, urban, and rural,” said Secretary Turner. “I look forward to partnering with the Seminoles and Indian Country as we uplift communities and deliver on the President’s vision for a stronger, more prosperous future for all.”
“The Seminole Tribe of Florida was pleased to welcome Scott Turner, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to its Native Learning Center in Hollywood, Florida,” said Executive Director Georgette Smith. “We are thankful the Secretary’s first official visit to Indian Country was focused on the Native Learning Center, a program backed by HUD in support of housing for Native Americans through training and technical assistance related to the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act.”
The NLC supports housing for Native Americans throughout the United States. The center offers training and technical assistance, including financial literacy training and first-time homebuyer educational courses, while promoting the essentials of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) to Tribal members and their communities. The NLC was established in October 2008, as a Model Activity program of the Seminole Tribe of Florida (STOF) Housing Department in cooperation with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Eastern Woodlands Office of Native American Programs (EWONAP) and various Native American trainers throughout Indian Country.
B-Roll from Secretary Turner’s Inaugural visit to Indian Country is available HERE.
View more about the visit from Calvin Tiger at the Seminole Tribune HERE.
Secretary Turner is greeted by NLC Executive Director, Georgette Smith.
NLC Deputy Director, Kyle Doney, presents a hand-made Seminole basket to Secretary Turner.
NLC Executive Director Georgette Smith gives Secretary Turner a tour of the center including the library, classrooms, and the Hoporenkv Native American Podcast studio.
NLC’s Brooke Warrington and Jasmine Rahming give Secretary Turner an overview of NLC’s work for Indian Country.
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