Red Lake Reservation Housing Authority named "Superhero" Project Team of the Year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – May 19, 2017 – Red Lake Reservation Housing Authority (RLRHA), housing authority for the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, was named Project Team of the Year at the 17th Annual Travois Affordable Housing & Economic Development Conference. In addition to RLRHA's project team award, other awards were presented to four outstanding industry professionals at a Superhero Awards luncheon on April 5 in Austin, Texas.

Red Lake Reservation Housing Authority (RLRHA) broke ground on the first successful tribal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) project in the country in 1998, and the housing authority continues to use the program today. RLRHA's team recently completed construction and lease-up on its 11th tax credit project, which included the rehabilitation of 40 homes in desperate need of repair. Last fall, RLRHA was awarded housing tax credits for its 12th LIHTC project, a 35-unit new-construction project.

RLRHA relentlessly pursues diverse funding sources including tax credits, Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grants, and a Capital Magnet Fund grant to fund the development and rehabilitation of affordable housing on its reservation. RLRHA's staff is always ready to find solutions to whatever challenges come their way to turn the tribe's housing goals into reality.

"RLRHA represents what we are all striving for in Indian Country affordable housing," said Alexandria Murnan, project coordinator for Travois. "The team has used new ideas and courageous action to innovate in our field, and we're so happy to be a part of their success."

Linda McGraw-Adams, assistant executive director of RLRHA, accepted the award at the luncheon with a hug and a heartfelt thank you to the crowd. After the conference, she provided this statement:

"This is such an honor and a tribute to all the commitment of the Red Lake Reservation Housing staff, our housing director, Jane L. Barret, our Board of Commissioners, and our Red Lake Tribal Nation!" McGraw-Adams said. "We are so blessed to have leaders with vision and the courage to be innovative and open to trying new ideas. We are also grateful to our partners, without whom all the wonderful housing developments would not be possible: To Travois, Raymond James Tax Credit Funds, Inc., Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, First National Bank of Bemidji, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Rural Development, Operation Walking Shield, Edison Capital, HUD and Title VI. We are so blessed to be able to work with such awesome organizations."

2017 Superhero Awards winners:

Housing Professional of the Year: Floyd Tortalita, Executive Director for Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority; Acoma Pueblo, NM

Economic Development Professional of the Year: Ho-Chunk Inc. and Lance Morgan, president and CEO of Ho-Chunk, Inc .; Winnebago, NE

Pillar Professional of the Year: Danny Chatter, maintenance supervisor for Yavapai-Apache Nation Tribal Housing; Camp Verde, AZ

Haven Professional of the Year: Jean Defoe, finance manager for Red Cliff Chippewa Housing Authority; Bayfield, WI

Project Team of the Year: Red Lake Reservation Housing Authority; Red Lake, MN

About the Low Income Housing Tax Credit

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit program was developed by Congress is 1986 and is included in Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code. It was created to encourage private investment in the construction or rehabilitation of housing for low-income families. Over the last 30 years, virtually all affordable rental housing in the United States has been built or rehabilitated with the support of the federal LIHTC program. The LIHTC is an extraordinary partnership among state and local governments, for-profit and nonprofit builders, and private investors and lenders that has enabled the rehabilitation and construction of 40,000 properties, and the financing structure ensures that rents remain affordable to low-income families. These properties have provided more than 3 million rental homes for the most vulnerable members of our society – struggling working families, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and the formerly homeless. These high-quality and well-maintained homes have strengthened thousands of urban, suburban, and rural communities. Harvard University's Joint Center on Housing Studies, which has exhaustively studied the housing credit, has concluded that it is "widely regarded as the most successful affordable housing production and preservation program in the nation's history."

About Travois

Travois is a mission-driven, family-owned consulting firm focused exclusively on promoting housing and economic development for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities. Since 1995, Travois has brought investor equity to 200 projects through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program and New Markets Tax Credit program, making an impact of more than $1 billion across Indian Country. These private investor funds have helped build or rehabilitate more than 5,100 homes and have helped finance critical economic development projects, including infrastructure, health care, community centers, education facilities and job incubators. Travois family of companies also offers architectural design and construction monitoring services, environmental assessments, consulting on green energy leadership, asset management and compliance services, investment impact models, and comprehensive training to clients in 21 states, from Hawaii and Alaska to Maine and California. For more information, please visit http://link.email.dynect.net/link.php?DynEngagement=true&H=s8mq%2BFF8Y8J%2F7%2FXrLp5ygdcwMPrxjsUdQBMch4EEnHhpCCjF3%2FNlfGR89pQSjEmGGhED7k4Leo5VbSOTDbybWwF%2FE85Xp5AK3yScMTqI5k2a%2FVn7idD3Ev3jGXdhu3hq15chg0RbYK0%3D&G=0&R=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.travois.com&I=20170519185028.0000000aed73%40mail6-34-usnbn1&X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjU5MWYzZTcxYTg1MjU4ZTYzMGM5ZDg4Nzs%3D&S=bdct_wrSE13zsp0gCly_WriY2lW5m-nrbnFMV4hsUy0 or find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram or on the company blog.