The Nixyaawii Community Financial Services is a relatively new Community Development
Financial Institution (CDFI), certified by the U.S. Department of Treasurys CDFI Fund
agency. NCFS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation formed under the laws of the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. NCFS provides consumer and other
loan products and provides "development services" to target market clients in small business
and homeownership. The NCFS Homeownership Program provides rigorous classroom
training for financial readiness and mortgage preparation in conjunction with a Triballyfunded downpayment matching fund called Umatilla Saves. A Tribal member completing
the classroom training and saves $2,000 of their own money is matched with $8,000 to be
used for their downpayment on a home purchase.
NCFS quickly established a new Land Lease Loan product as a result of the site development
of the 42 parcel Nixyaawii Subdivision (see attached site map). The Subdivision is located
on Tribally-owned trust land that cannot be sold but can be leased. The development team
crafted a 99-year lease to be acquired at a highly subsidized rate oughly between $10-
17,000 for 4,000 to 6,400 square foot lots. All lots have curbside utilities and stub outs with
paved roads, sidewalks, water, sewer, electrical, natural gas, and broadband fiber. Currently
of the 15 initial leaseholders, NCFS has provided loans to 8 with several more completing
final loan approval.
NCFS further applied for and was awarded $3 million from Oregon Housing and Community
Services resources. The resulting homes are not affected by income requirements, which was
important given the growth of middle-income families among the Tribal membership. The
concept is to construct as many 2- and 3-bedroom homes as possible, work through the
various support programs to facilitate mortgage financing and capture the home purchase
funds to be recirculated for the following year's new round of home construction. The
project goal is to construct 8 homes in the first year, 7 in the second, and 6 in the third and
final year for a total of 21 homes on the Subdivision.
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