The United States Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund announced Capital Magnet Fund (CMF) awards last week, and the Tohono O’odham Ki:Ki Association (TOKA) received a $900,000 grant!
These grant funds are extremely competitive; Out of the total 120 applications, TOKA is one of 40 recipients and the only tribal entity awarded. TOKA will use the funds for its TOKA Homes #3 development. In 2017, the 38-unit development was awarded Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) and is expected to have a total cost of $9.8 million.
Created by Travois architects, the designs for the new units were inspired by Colonial Barrio architecture (see renderings below). In addition to new homes, the project will also build a community center, playground, barbecue area, and a basketball court, all to be located in the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation Reservation in Tucson, AZ. TOKA is the third client Travois has helped to receive a CMF award for a total of $2.7 million in CMF grants.
In response to the award, Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva congratulated TOKA in a statement:
“With access to affordable housing becoming a major issue in Indian Country, I am thrilled the Tohono O’odham Ki:Ki Association (TOKA) received this award. Affordable housing is the foundation of building a strong community, and no one knows this better than the staff and supporters of TOKA,” he said.
“Since 1962, TOKA has built over 1,000 homes on the Tohono O’odham Nation, ensuring that residents have access to strong homes to build strong families. With this CDFI award, TOKA will have more resources to invest in their community, build quality homes, and ensure a better future for the people of the Tohono O’odham Nation.”
The CMF awards grants for the preservation, rehabilitation, new construction or purchase of affordable housing for low income communities and the development of physical structures for businesses and community service facilities. The CMF was created by the federal government as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) of 2008 to award competitive grants to finance affordable housing projects and related economic development activities.
TOKA expects to fill the units with residents from its waitlist, which totaled 221 households at the time the TOKA Homes #3 application was submitted. Construction of all units and community amenities is expected to be complete in 2019.
Congratulations TOKA! We are grateful for the opportunity to help you with the wonderful work you do on the Tohono O’odham Reservation.
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