Housing: Is it a crisis or long past?

Housing: Is it a crisis or long past?

By Joe Budd,

Native Sun News Today Staff Writer

Depending on who you talk to, it’s a feast or famine world in housing markets. When looking at data from the US Census Bureau, one company determined that South Dakota, has a little over 400,000 housing units, and 13.7% of these, currently are vacant. That breaks down into the number of 55,833 vacant houses in South Dakota, across the entire state. Granted, as it’s noted in the information gleaned via LendingTree, the tally can’t differentiate between an empty, dilapidated house or a vacation summer home in the black hills. If you step back even further, and look at the regional numbers, there’s even more vacancies. Minnesota leads the region with 268,246 vacant houses. Iowa has 152,972, and with Wyoming, North Dakota and Nebraska, that’s over 600,000 houses sitting empty.

That’s a lot of housing solutions in a state that has seen demand bloom in recent months. Locally, a number of apartment complexes are growing around Rapid City, Sioux Falls, and down on the Pine Ridge Reservation, need is at a critical level, held in check by a need of funding.

However, with all these vacant houses, a few things do need to be addressed. One, foremost, is location. A vacant house in Rapid City is one matter. But 3 vacant houses in say, Ralph, wouldn’t do anyone, any good. Likewise, a vacant summer home, in a few months will no longer be vacant. In the past, there had been efforts in the case of former military housing, being moved, but sadly, conditions didn’t allow the homes to be used in a timely matter. So where does South Dakota go from here? And more importantly, will the federal government get funding started, to help some folks?

One particular story that surfaced, involved a grandmother who lost her house to a fire near Wanblee. She shared her house with some grandkids, and in trying to dispose of some ashes from a wood stove, caught on fire. The house was a total loss, as the nearest fire company to respond, was dealing with traffic and distance. Long Valley, Kadoka and Interior, have ranged times from 15 minutes to 30, on good days and open roads. There is a local volunteer fire department, but sadly, it’s equipment has seen better days.

When talking to Lloyd Wilcox, who approached me regarding this issue, said he’s been trying to help his mom, in a couple ways. She has COPD, and does have a place to stay. However, due to the condition, the house needs to stay warm, all the time for her breathing. Likewise, there’s the grandkids, who used to call her place home, it can make the housing situation very crowded. Add in the effect that Wanblee is a small town a good distance from Pine Ridge, housing options are at a premium in the small town.

Julia Wilcox, the grandmother, is 84 years old. She’s a touch hard of hearing, and after the fire, went through the regular channels to see if anything could be done. Enrolled with the Oglala Lakota Tribe, she made several contacts to the council and elected officials. Their primary option they mentioned, was to apply for housing aid. She also tried to contact her husband’s tribe, the Rosebud, to be told the same. She also made an effort to talk with the Red Cross, and that resulted in her getting a few cots and some funds for food, and the local school was able to provide clothing, but from the long view, funding is what’s holding up any new or additional housing at this time.

So, onto the federal level…plus an interesting development on the state level. Recently as of last year, efforts were underway to bring the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act up to date, as the recent one expired in 2013. Congress would continue to fund the Bills, but an up to date Act in 2021 would address needs until 2032. Within this package, would help fund existing programs but as well, make the HUD-VASH program a regular assistance program instead of the demonstration as it stands.

Another interesting development, on the State level saw the Governor, Kristi Noem return 81.5 million in federal funds, unused from the Emergency Rental Assistance funds to the Federal government. When in doing so, she asked the Department of the Treasury, to redirect the funding to help three specific tribes with 18 million dollars for Oglala Sioux, (14.6 Million) Lower Brule Sioux (1.7 Million) and Crow Creek Sioux tribes (1.7 million) in aid. While Noem would go on to state “what our state offers renters is better than a government hand-outs: a job,” It does fail to take into consideration what the Tribes currently are lacking in…employment. Unemployment in Reservation areas still are the highest in the state, and some, highest in the entire country. She did hit one point that also seems to overshoot local officials, the influx of people, has quickly filled up openings around the city of Rapid City, and even with rents rising, people are caught in a bind. Lower to middle income housing options are non-existent, while higher income, simply would not be an option, unless eating or driving is optional. When housing costs for rent between 975 a month, to almost 2000 a month it becomes a question, do people want to remain in the city, or seek out cheaper locations to live?

For Native Americans, on the western side of the state, its nearly a no-win situation. Jobs do exist, depending on experience or none, for entry level positons. But does a job exist, when you have no place to live? Some folks can try to live, in a starting out situation with relatives but then it’s back to the question, does the job pay enough to meet the rent being charged? How about the other financial needs in the area? Gas costs are up, then comes electricity, internet and cable, and food, would make any single income household hard to navigate. With a rental price tag of nearly 2k a month, it’s starting to rival California…and not in a good way.

One solution, home-grown here in South Dakota and located in Sioux Falls is a program geared both towards housing, but also making use of houses that are no longer being used in the metro area. By recycling and renovating old houses and governor homes, the effort has resulted in over 70 houses being put back into families’ hands that can use places to live. This group also works alongside the South Dakota Housing group, and goes by the name of South Eastern Development Foundation, also takes a proactive work to developing neighborhoods and lots. For landlords who are approached, it’s a simple case. Tearing a house down, can cost upwards of $15,000 while donating the house to the SEDF has a chance to put houses back into use.

Could a program out here, be beneficial to Rapid City or closer to home, on the reservations? The primary difference between both situations is finding places that currently sit empty to be recycled, then find land to set up and develop in the areas in need. To that end, it’s a question both councils could look into, and help grow the population bases.