Lummi Housing Authority (WA) nears completion on 72-unit Kwina Village

A transportation oriented development centrally located on the Lummi (WA) Reservation, Kwina Village is along a major corridor, bus line, and within easy walking distance of most Tribal facilities and services including the Administration Center, Tribal Court, Housing, Health Clinic, Police, and Northwest Indian College (NWIC).

On June 7, 2010, Rodger Boyd, Deputy Assistant Secretary for ONAP, and NwONAP Administrator, Ken Bowring visited Lummi Housing Authority's Kwina Village Apartments development. The 72-low-income, rental unit project is estimated to cost $7 million. It is currently under construction, and funded by ARRA formula, ARRA competitive, and IHBG grants.

Kwina Village incorporates environmentally friendly construction that features 12 separate 2-story buildings arranged in groupings around common open spaces, with each building containing 6 relatively small, one and two-bedroom flats. The project incorporates energy-efficient features throughout the unit design, as well as a low-impact storm water system which is unique in the area. Landscaping, recreational amenities, and a small community building will complete the project.

Lummi Housing Authority designed this development for young families and students. Residents of this project will receive extensive supportive housing services including credit counseling, job skills training, and homebuyer education classes at the NWIC. Cooperation with the NWIC is intended to ensure all residents succeed their individual goals such as homeownership and graduation from college.

Kwina Village models a unique partnership between the NWIC and Lummi Housing Authority. NWIC donated the land for the development and, in exchange, Lummi Housing Authority will reserve two of the buildings for NWIC students. The project will also provide an opportunity for Tribal youth to gain hands-on experience in the construction trades, through resources provided by a $1.2 million Department of Labor YouthBuild Grant. Students of the YouthBuild program are currently constructing the community building onsite.

The project is being carried out with force account labor by the Lummi Housing Authority. To date, the project has created 24 jobs for Lummi tribal tradesmen, many of whom were unemployed or very low income. Beyond the immediate creation of jobs, procurement of specialty work, materials, and equipment is being accomplished locally, thereby injecting dollars into the county wide economy.