Building Green and Respecting Native American Identity: Housing, Culture, and Sustainability in Native American Communities

Authors

Mike Blanford, HUD Office of Policy Development and Research; Brian Gillen, HUD Office of Public and Indian Housing; Lynda Lantz, First Pic, Inc.; Robert Pyatt, University of Colorado Boulder; and Jamie Blosser, Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative

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December 16, 2013

Native American tribes have long faced challenges in providing safe, decent, and affordable housing for tribal members. Recognizing the extreme housing conditions and needs in many Native communities, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is actively engaged in a number of initiatives aimed at improving conditions on the ground in Native communities across the U.S. This article details one of these efforts: Sustainable Construction in Indian Country (SCinIC), a joint program of HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) and Office of Native American Programs (ONAP). The initiative seeks to promote and support sustainable construction in Native communities through demonstration, training, and dissemination of best practices and program results.