Submitted by Cherokee Indian Housing Division
Rental Applications
If you are a prospective tenant who turned in a paper application at the Road-To-Soco and have not been contacted concerning your application, please contact Brandy Hicks 359-6908 and leave a message. The online rental application is now available on EBCI.com. When completing the online application, please include your email address for faster processing of your application. Rental properties are at 98 percent capacity currently.
Homeownership Applications
Qualla Housing Services will begin taking applications for homeownership on tribal lands in Graham County, Cherokee County, 3200 Acre Tract, and the Qualla Boundary. The first 25 applications that meet program eligibility guidelines will be accepted. The head of the household or spouse must be an Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) tribal citizen. Applicants must meet income guidelines established by HUD for the NAHASDA funding. This program is funded through Housing & Urban Development’s Indian Housing Block Grant.
The waiting list will open at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1 and will remain open until 25 applications are accepted. You may apply at the Cherokee Indian Housing Division located at the old Qualla Housing Authority office on Acquoni Road.
Applicants should bring the following items to be submitted with the application: EBCI enrollment card, Social Security card for each person in the household 18 years of age or older, a copy of a driver’s license or state-issued identification for each person 18 years of age or older, copies of marriage license/divorce decree, proof of income for all people who will be listed as living in the household, any award letter to verify SSA, SSI, or VA letters must be dated within 120 days, and a copy of parcel map with possessory assignment. Proof of income can include two recent check stubs or previous year’s tax returns.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted or held for completion. A copy of the application and check list for all documents can be picked up at the CIHD main office. For further information, please contact QHS at the CIHD Acquoni Road office 359-6320.
Off-Boundary Paving Applications
Cherokee Indian Housing Division will begin taking paving applications for EBCI tribal members in Haywood, Graham, Cherokee, Jackson, Macon, Clay, and Swain counties who do not live on tribal trust land.
The waiting list will open at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1 and close on Sept. 30. You may apply at the Cherokee Indian Housing Division located at the old Qualla Housing Authority office on Acquoni Road. Completed applications will be processed on a first-in-first-out basis based on the availability of funding.
Applicants should bring the following items to be submitted with the application: EBCI enrollment card, proof of ownership (deed or mortgage note), and legal description of all rights-of-way if applicable.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted or held for completion. A copy of the application and check list for all documents can be picked up at the CIHD main office. For further information, please contact QHS at the CIHD Acquoni Road office 359-6908 or 788-6785.
New Construction Retail Prices
Lumber prices per 1,000 board feet peaked at over $1,700 on May 2 on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (Burnham, 2021). Fortune magazine reported on Aug. 12 that lumber prices have corrected back to 2018 price levels (Lambert, 2021). According to Fortune, the cash market price on Aug. 12 was down to $463 dollars per board feet (Lambert, 2021). This reflects a 73 percent drop from the May high.
According to Kyle Little, COO at Sherwood Lumber, as reported to Fortune, “We are seeing substantial changes in the selling prices at the retail yards as it pertains to lumber, with panel items soon to follow” (Lambert, 2021).
While the wholesale price of lumber has dropped dramatically, and retail prices are beginning to adjust, these corrections are not being reflected in current contract prices for new home construction.
Enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, if possible, should consider postponing new construction pending correction of retail lumber prices. The current market prices reflect lumber contracts purchased at higher wholesale prices over the previous months. The correction in the retail pricing may take several months and should be discussed with your builder or general contractor before entering into a construction or sales contract.
Lambert, L. (2021, August). When to expect the best lumber deals. Fortune.
Burnham (2021, June 16). After historic highs, lumber prices are finally beginning to drop. The
Piscataquis Observer. https://ovserver-me.com/2021/06/16/news/after-historic-highs-lumber-prices-are-finally-beginning-to-drop
