Housing and Infrastructure Development

The firm has helped several tribes and tribal housing entities reorganize following the passage of the Native American Housing and Self -Determination Act in 1996. The reorganization has allowed the new housing enterprises to address the full range of housing needs on reservations and to utilize funding sources beyond that available through the Indian Housing Block Grant. The Firm has helped design innovative homeownership programs and finance mortgaging models. We also have revised policies and procedures and developed manuals for housing staff to effectively appear in court on housing delinquency matters, and even contributed to a national handbook on developing homeownership opportunities on Indian reservations.

The firm also has served as issuer’s or borrower’s counsel in substantial bond and loan financings dedicated to housing development. The Law Firm serves as general counsel to a tribal health board which recently constructed a new 64,000 square-foot health facility as part of a joint venture agreement with the Indian Health Service, and is working on compacting the provision of health services. The Firm was responsible for all negotiations with IHS, which resulted in a three-fold increase in funding for the facility, and all of the legal contracting work for the construction and for the compact under Public Law 93-638.