Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Housing Department

The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Housing Department was formed to improve the quality of Colony Housinglife for residents of the Colony by assisting tribal members to obtain and maintain a comfortable, safe and sanitary home. The Housing Department has a 12-person staff plus a seven member Housing Advisory Board appointed by Tribal Council which provides general oversight and community involvement in Housing Department activities. With more than 1,000 tribal members, the Housing Department supports the maintenance of 320 households, 165 on the Colony and 155 in Hungry Valley. The department’s operations are funded by an annual Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with some additional funding from the RSIC General Fund. There are three options for housing on the RSIC. First, the Colony includes 78 rental homes which were built with HUD assistance under the 1937 Housing Act. The rent does not exceed 30 percent of the family’s income. A second option is a lease-to-purchase-home. Homebuyers make monthly payments and ultimately acquire ownership of their home when the contract is paid off. Currently, the Housing Department assists with 108 lease-to-purchase-homes. Finally, for paid-off homes, the Housing Department provides advice and technical assistance on home maintenance and repair issues when requested even though the Department does not have management responsibilities for these homes or homes that were originally built by tribal members without HUD assistance. In addition, senior citizens and disabled residents are also provided special assistance for home repairs as funding is available.

Housing Programs