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Native Communities Looking to Build Assets Through Financial Education and Asset Building Strategies: Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton, Oregon
Barbara Ku'ulei Roloff & Pamela Ranslam-Schofieldi
The Umatilla Indian Reservation sits in a rural setting and has a checker-boarded land base comprised of approximately 172,000 acres. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) is a union of three tribes: Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla. There are almost 2500 enrolled Umatilla tribal members and nearly 1500 Indians who reside on the reservation. CTUIR is governed by a Constitution and by-laws adopted in 1949. The governing body is a nine-member Board of Trustees, elected every two years by the General Council. CTUIR and the Wildhorse Casino Resort is the second highest employer in the County and they employ a total of 1000 employees.
The Umatilla Reservation Housing Authority (URHA) is a tribal designated housing entity organized in 1967 and receives the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) federal grant dollars to develop safe, decent and sanitary affordable housing to the 80 percent income target population. URHA holds 150 rental units with another 67 lease-to-own housing units. Umatilla is teaching the new way of owning a home. This is a new concept for reservations and requires a person to be super human in order to achieve this so called American Dream.
| Tribal Trust Land Complexities | Subsidized housing into 30-year Mortgages |
| Multiple-ownership on property | Title Status Report Difficulty |
| Land Development Codes | Limited Lender Participation |
| Limited Housing Stock | 99-year Leases |
| Lack of Credit Knowledge | Accessing and Repairing Credit |
| High Consumer Debts | Rampant Predatory Lending |
| Lack of savings or investments | Rural Area |
| Average Home Price: $182,000 assessed by a local realtor | Proposed Homeownership Subdivision voted down due to discovering human remains |
There are a series of steps to becoming a home owner if you are a tribal member residing on the reservation:
- There are costs required through the Planning office to develop tribal land. Costs can range up to $20,000 for individuals if the property needs road access, utilities, surveys and other planning requirements such as well & septic. Obtaining TSR's through the BIA offices are lengthy.
- Financially readiness to assume a 30-year mortgage is the other series of steps. Loan products are available, but still require credit worthiness, savings and debt-to-income determination. Down payment assistance and closing costs are obstacles if you don't have the money.
- In conjunction, you will need to learn the mortgage loan steps and what it means to be a home owner.
We want people to succeed so let's provide the tools to do it first. In order to build assets and help people achieve this goal, it will require developing a multi-faceted program. Umatilla's program structured their classes with long-term strategies and to truly practice sovereignty. The program has helped more than 200 participants through educational series, credit & debt management consultations and developing a spending plan. Almost 10 mortgages have been completed including another 20 people who are saving to buy a home using IDAs.
i Barbara Ku`ulei Roloff works at the Umatilla Reservation Housing Authority Homeownership: Financial, Credit & Consumer Protection Program in Pendleton, Oregon. Ms. Roloff has almost 20 years experience in community development and housing efforts. Her background includes working for city government, nonprofits, research and development, native communities, youth and grant writing. Barbara continues to help tribal entities in this multi-faceted field working as a Trainer for Neighbor Works Training Institute including helping as an approved NAIHC Mentor.
She received the 2003 Top Program of the Year Award by the Umatilla tribe and helped develop one of the first tribal IDA programs in the Northwest while helping work on Oregon Administration Rules for tribal inclusion to access state funds. Umatilla was the only tribe awarded funds in 2003 for the ROSS Homeownership Support Services federal grant and state of Oregon IDA funds. Barbara holds a Master's degree in Public Administration focusing on public policy and community & economic development and possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business: Managerial Leadership.
Pamela Ranslam-Schofield is the Coordinator/Mortgage Specialist for the program. She brings her banking and mortgage expertise to our community program. Pam develops curriculum and facilitates a homebuyer workshop, works in partnership with lenders to package mortgage loan, and is a community advocate for homeownership and down payment assistance. Pam is most instrumental in helping people through the convoluted loan steps. Her background includes several years in retail management including experience as the real estate loan officer for a local lending institution. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Oregon State University.