Coalition Names Housing Development Director
KYLE – The South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition is pleased to announce that it has selected Red Dawn Foster (Oglala Lakota and Navajo) as Executive Director to lead the formation and launch of its housing development subsidiary, an entity that will support tribal communities in their efforts to increase the number of safe and affordable homes.
“Housing is the foundation to economic development and overall health and wellness of families,” says Foster. “I’m excited to be part of helping Native communities to leverage resources and find innovative solutions.”
Foster is in her third term as a South Dakota State Senator representing the 27th district. She brings over 15 years of experience working with tribal communities in the community and economic development field. Foster holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Master of Arts degree in Business Administration.
“We are thrilled to have Red Dawn on board. This is a milestone in the formation of the Coalition’s housing development subsidiary and a critical step to increasing our overall sustainability and furthering our mission,” says Sharon Vogel, Board Chairwoman for the Coalition.
This strategic staffing step follows the release of a feasibility study that revealed the Coalition could in fact establish a viable development subsidiary. Once the entity is formally established, Foster will design a menu of services that could include assessments, project planning, community engagement, contract management, project management, or other services to meet client needs. She will also create a pool of talented housing development experts to consult with tribes, tribal departments, tribally-designated housing entities, or nonprofit organizations on housing development projects.
The creation of the Coalition’s housing development subsidiary has been supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Administration for Native Americans, Enterprise Community Partners, and Wells Fargo InvestNative.
About the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition
The South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition was born out of a need to expand homeownership opportunities for Native Americans in the state of South Dakota. Created in 2013, the Coalition is a diverse group of agencies, institutions, and organizations that works to increase homeownership opportunities for South Dakota’s Native people to build strong and healthy communities. Its growing group of members includes representatives of South Dakota’s tribes, federal and state agencies, tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs), nonprofit organizations, housing developers, lenders, and community development financial institutions. The South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition works to increase Native homeownership rates by strategically leveraging knowledge and resources among stakeholders and other key entities. More information about the Coalition can be found at www.sdnativehomeownershipcoalition.org.
(Contact Heidi Cuny, 415-279-0185, heidi@cunycommunications.com)
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April 14, 2023