Turtle Mountain Housing Authority (TMHA) recently closed with equity investor RBC Community Investments to begin construction on its $19 million affordable housing development, Turtle Mountain Homes #10. The development will provide 52 new apartments for community members on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota.
“Without the commitment of the “team,” consisting of housing staff, consultants, architects, engineers, legal counsel, and the investors, this project may not have been realized,” said Rebecca Orlander, TMHA executive director. “Weeks to months of planning, revising and negotiating, coupled with weekly meetings, dedication and long hours, the project closed; and the construction has begun! Completion of the project will replace its oldest housing projects, and revitalize the community, and will make a difference as TMHA strives to meet the goals for which it was established.”
Turtle Mountain Homes #10 received a 2022 Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award from the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) that generated $6 million in investor equity from RBC Community Investments for the development.
“RBC Community Investments is proud to close our fourth LIHTC partnership with Turtle Mountain Housing Authority,” said John Galfione, a director at RBC. “We are excited to see construction progress and welcome families in need of high quality, affordable housing to their new homes.”
The new development includes a 28-unit building and a 24-unit building with a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. TMHA put in a lot of effort to prepare the development site for new homes. TMHA received $1.3 million in EPA clean-up grants to rid the site of contaminates and $2.9 million in ICDG CARES Act funding to safely demolish 21 dilapidated structures.
TMHA partnered with Travois for consulting and asset management and compliance services.
“We are proud to partner with TMHA on this development,” said Meaghan Pasbrig, project manager at Travois. “The group’s commitment to identifying the needs of their community, diligently planning how to meet those needs, and taking collaborative action has completely transformed the neighborhood on the Turtle Mountain Reservation.”