STILWELL, OK — Cherokee Nation leaders recently joined Stilwell community members to celebrate the opening of the ᏗᎬᎩᏍᎩ ᏗᏁᏍᎨᏓ Crittenden Housing Addition.
The new five-acre housing addition is named in honor of Cherokee Nation Secretary of Veterans Affairs S. Joe Crittenden, who previously served on the Council of the Cherokee Nation, as Deputy Chief of the Cherokee Nation, and briefly as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Secretary Crittenden, of Adair County, is a U.S. Navy veteran.
The new housing addition is a part of the Cherokee Nation’s reauthorized Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act signed into law in 2022 by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner with support from the Council of the Cherokee Nation.
“As Chief, I am proud to say that we’ve made historic strides in improving housing conditions, and we committed more funding for that cause under the Hoskin-Warner administration than any other five-year period in Cherokee history,” said Chief Hoskin. “We’ve done this through the historic Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, which is helping fund new housing like the Crittenden Housing Addition here in Stilwell. Generations of Cherokee families will find the safety and security of these new homes to be a comfort. I look forward to completing the many other housing projects underway across the Cherokee Nation reservation in the months and years ahead.”
Each of the 15 new homes in the addition include three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage. The homes range from 1,745 to 1,844 sq. ft. with low-cost maintenance features and brick siding. A storm shelter, sidewalks, fiber optic internet, and generator connectivity is provided for each house, along with naval-themed playground equipment at the center of the neighborhood.
“It wasn’t long ago that we were here breaking ground on this new housing addition. I’m amazed at the progress we’ve achieved with so many homes built in the last year across our reservation,” said Deputy Chief Warner. “Chief Hoskin and I understand housing is such an important issue facing everyone, not just Cherokees, in our area. We are working every day to address the housing needs for Cherokee families and housing additions like this are a great way to gather momentum for future housing projects.”
A quarter of a mile of sidewalks in the housing addition have been made available by the Public Health and Wellness Act, amended most recently in 2023 and dedicating $100 million in settlement funds from opioid and e-cigarette lawsuits for a variety of public health programs, including $76 million for drug treatment capital projects.
“The Cherokee Nation strives to provide a service to our people with the dollars we have, and thank God for the tribe’s businesses that are successful and provide money for housing and health care and all the other things we’re doing,” said Secretary Crittenden. “There’s always more work to do but this housing addition is another great step, and I’m thankful we have leaders who are continuing the progress for our people.”
Construction for the housing project began in May of 2023.
“I am so excited to see the Crittenden Housing Addition come to fruition,” said District 7 Councilor Joshua Sam. “These homes represent many prayers for our communities and families. We understand there is a housing crisis nationwide, but to see our tribe working together in the spirit of gadugi, to provide safe and affordable housing to our citizens is a true blessing.”
Partners for the project include Cherokee Nation Business Construction, Wallace Engineering, Blue River Architects, Maska Builders and Happy Playgrounds.
“It’s amazing to see this level of quality housing that is available to our citizens,” said District 8 Councilor Codey Poindexter. “This is something that has been a long time coming within our communities. I really appreciate our leadership within the tribe and their vision of housing for our citizens. They really show what productivity looks like when we all work together.”
Families and community members joined in the celebration and new residents began moving into their new homes after the ceremony concluded.
“I never thought this would happen,” said Jennifer Reynaga, a resident in the newly constructed housing addition. “It’s a dream come true.”
