PC contracted with the Nimiipuu Community Development Fund (NCDF) based out of Lapwai, Idaho to provide a Housing Study and Needs Assessment for the Nez Perce Reservation. For the assessment, our team forecasted both the total population change on the Reservation over the next twenty years as well as the number of individuals within the Reservation who identify as American Indian or Alaskan Native (AIAN). These were further refined into both a Status Quo and an Optimistic Growth Scenario, which primarily reflect the difference between stagnation (historical trends) and growth (driven by new housing and economic development). Under the Status Quo growth scenario, it is expected that 273 new housing units will be required to accommodate the steadily growing AIAN population on the Reservation, while in the Optimistic Scenario, this number increases to 657 new units.
To begin bridging these housing gaps, PC provided recommendations to NCDF on how best to facilitate new housing opportunities based on our data findings and community input. These included suggestions on the best types of housing to develop to accommodate elders, young families, and low-income members; methods of organizing Tribal community leaders to determine the best use for Tribal lands; and partnerships to pursue with financial institutions to aid the lending process and financial literacy.
The report was completed in November 2024 and can be read here:
