Tribal Council approves grant application for voc rehab program

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved a $3.77 million American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services grant application at its Wednesday, March 6, meeting.

The grant, provided through the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, will provide 5 years of program operating costs to help Tribal members with disabilities achieve gainful employment.

“This specifically services the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde by providing funding for five positions,” Grants Program Manager: Wendy Sparks said during a Tuesday, March 5, Legislative Action Committee meeting. “This is a long standing, ongoing grant and is absolutely critical to the vocational rehab project so it’s an appropriate use of grant funds to support full-time employees.”

The funding will cover a multi-year contract for a client tracking system and consultant fees for client training, as well as assessment services to assist clients with achieving gainful employment and work experience.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved a $375,000 grant between the Tribe and the Oregon Department of Education Office of Indian Education to fund projects that address learning loss as well as academic, social, emotional and mental health challenges students have faced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Approved an amendment to a grant between the Tribes and the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care for language preservation and revitalization through the Chinuk Wawa Education Program. The amendment adds an additional $140,955 to the previous grant award of $133,000;
• Approved a $3 million grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Indian Housing Block Grant for the design and construction of eight low-income housing units;
• Approved an application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program for $342,444;
• And enrolled one infant into the Tribe because they meet the requirements outlined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

Tribal Council also approved an authorization to proceed with a home-ownership preference process for its new development located at McPherson Road. First-tier preference will be given to Tribal members with a preapproval letter, lease application submitted to the Tribal Housing Department and who are the only Tribal members interested in a specific lot. They will have 60 days to close on the lot.

Second-tier preference will be given to Tribal members with a preapproval letter and lease application submitted to housing but prefer a lot with multiple people interested. All interested parties will be placed in a lottery-style drawing. The Housing Department will contact the person who is drawn as the first candidate on the preferred lot. If the Tribal member doesn’t close on the lot within 60 days, then it will be offered to the next member on the list.

The remaining lots and homes will be advertised and sold on a first-come, first-served basis to those Tribal members who can obtain a preapproval letter, lease application and close within the 60-day time period.

Additionally, Tribal Council approved an authorization to proceed with design and construction of 25 one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units for phase 3 of the Wind River Apartments, located adjacent to the Housing Department offices at 28450 Tyee Road.

To watch the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Videos tab.