People sprinkled sacred tobacco on the ground and an Onondaga man said a prayer at the ground breaking Monday for the construction of Sacajawea’s newest project. About 65 people, including three from our congregation, were present. The site will become a 40-unit supportive housing building for Indigenous people that will provide not just homes but health care and spiritual support from Sacajawea’s support workers and elders.
The project began when the family that owned the site, which had been vacant for years, approached the city about possible uses for it. Agreement was reached to sell it to housing provider Indwell, at a low market price and with a delay in payments until funding could be lined up. Indwell created plans for a 40-unit building but couldn’t make the financing work. With the addition of funding earmarked for Indigenous projects, Sacajawea could, so Indwell sold the site and turned the project over to Sacajawea. Funding for the project includes $12.2 million from various federal housing programs, $1.5 million in direct city funding and waived fees and the city’s investment of $1 million of its funding from the federal Housing Accelerator fund. Operating funding for the supports for tenants is still being negotiated, primarily with the province. Eight of the 40 units will be barrier-free. The building will be built to close to Passive House standards, so energy costs will be low. The focus for the tenants is on holistic wellness, a key part of which is connection to Indigenous culture, Sacajawea CEO Miranda Rappazzo said. Sacajawea isn’t just building homes, it’s building futures.