The Lumbee Tribal Housing Administration met with the contractors and architects involved with the construction of the 50 new homes within the Pembroke city limits to discuss the growth of the project on Tuesday, February 23, 2010.
“It’s an honor to be able to provide affordable, decent, safe and sanitary housing to 50 families,” expressed Tribal Chairman Purnell Swett, “we are always looking for ways to expand upon our housing opportunities and the Tax Credit Project is an added avenue toward accomplishing this goal.”
The Tribe broke ground on the ArrowPoint Tax Credit Project in late 2009; “there are seven houses currently in progress and every house out here will be built to Energy Star standards set forth by the United States Department of Energy, each having three bedrooms and two bathrooms,” said Tribal Housing Director Bosco Locklear while walking on site observing the development.
The homes will be distinguished by colors according to the two different areas of location on the property. The architects on the project wanted to make the subdivision feel like a smaller neighborhood within a larger neighborhood. “We want to make sure the owner is getting a good value,” commented Architect Phil Kiester of Tise-Kiester Architects located in Chapel Hill.
The Tribal Housing Administration has set forth a projected completion date of January 31, 2011. “Everything is moving according to schedule,” reassured Metcon Project Manager Samantha Locklear. However, guidelines for prospective residents will be determined sometime in early March by the North Carolina Housing Agency, which is responsible for administering the tax credits for North Carolina.
The total project cost will be about $7 million however; the Tribe will only have to invest about $200,000 of its current Native American Housing and Self Determination Act funds (NAHASDA). “The tax-credit homes have enabled us to leverage our funds to be able to serve many more folks than we normally could make possible, the Lumbee Tribe is pleased to be capable of providing 50 new low-income houses for our people,” asserted Tribal New Construction Manager Leon Revels.
