MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

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August 16, 2012

Housing program helps families

The Cherokee Nation’s plan to construct 300 homes will improve the lives of Cherokee citizens.

The first seven families moved into the homes provided by the nation recently.

Cherokee Chief Bill John Baker said he hoped 300 of the houses would be completed in a year or two.

“We had about 900 to 950 Cherokees sign up for the homes,” Baker said. “This is something that will change people’s lives.”

Javonte Sallis agrees.

Javonte, Treonte and their mother Tia Sallis, were one of the families that moved into a home in Fort Gibson recently.

“I’ve lived in an apartment my whole life,” said the 16-year-old Javonte.  “This place is so nice, there’s so much more room.”

Tia Sallis, a 1994 Fort Gibson High School graduate, said she was paying $565 each month for rent in a three-bedroom apartment.

“This is so nice,” Sallis said. “Now I can save some money for my boys and get them in football and basketball.

“And I can start barbecuing again, now that I have a porch.”

Sallis said she’ll pay $350 each month for rent in her new home.

Owning a home can have profound effects on families.

Houses provide pride and stability.

When families own a home, they are much more grounded in the community.

The program will help both Cherokee families and the communities in which they live.

FYI

For information about the Cherokee Nation’s housing program, visit www.cherokee.org or call (800) 837-2869.

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