Cherokee Nation Housing Authority ups match, raises cap for iSAFE rehab savings accounts

The Cherokee Nation Housing Authority revised its iSAFE individual development account policy to increase the program match and expand how much a household can save for home repairs, Director Enloe told the Community Services Committee.

Director Enloe said the authority previously matched participant deposits at a 1-to-3 rate; the board voted to change the match to 1-to-4. "We passed the policy that we will match 1 to 4. So $1,000 turns into $5,000," Enloe said, and the board also raised the participant contribution cap from $1,000 to $2,000 so a household could receive up to $10,000 in rehab assistance.

The change is intended to move some rehab resources more quickly into citizens' hands rather than relying solely on a lengthy rehab wait list, Enloe said. He told the committee the assistance must be spent on the participant's primary residence and that there are income limits based on NAHASTA guidelines. "For a household of 1, they have to earn less than $58,352," Enloe said when citing the 80%-of-national-median example printed on the program application.

Enloe told the committee the authority distributed 100 application packets at a previous event and expected to distribute about 150 more the next day, and said the application is posted on the housing authority website. He also described a mechanism to allow repeat participation: the program now permits multiple instances but places a deed restriction for a period (the board described the restriction period as about two years) during which the house must remain subject to the restriction; once it is removed the household may apply again.

Committee members asked how the program handles homes that lack homeowner insurance or have an existing mortgage. Enloe said the housing staff can assist some households in obtaining insurance or secure a written declination from a carrier that can be used as justification to proceed without insurance in specific cases. He also said the authority typically takes a soft second position behind an existing mortgage and that, where needed, staff have negotiated with local banks to allow repairs to proceed.

Housing staff framed the change as one of several measures to give citizens more options to complete repairs sooner. The program details, income limits and application materials, Enloe said, are available on the housing authority's application and website.