Just behind the baseball fields near
Bemidji Middle School, nestled among the pines, is a place called
Conifer Estates, a supportive housing project put together with
collaborative effort by several governments and agencies, including
Red Lake Nation, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and Bi-County CAP.
On June 11, the 70 residents, staff and
guests gathered near Conifer’s office building for a picnic supper
while enjoying the sun and the 78 degree weather.
To the rear of the building was a
meeting room filled with hot dog and hamburger buns, chips, pickles,
and more. Outside the open back door, two charcoal grills are
commandeered by Conifer’s young, hard-working resident manager, a
stern but gentle fellow known as Joe Van Horn of Redby and Chad
Nelson Chief Property Manager for DW Jones.
After lunch Nelson and Van Horn
gathered all the children together and led them to a dry "run-off"
pond, a round depression not unlike a small amphitheater where bags
of water balloons lay waiting. After forming three teams, the fun
began. Later every child and adult were the recipients of at least
one give-away.
"This is such a great turn-out,"
Nelson told the small crowd of neighbors and friends. "My thanks
to the staff here at Conifer and of course the tenants who have made
this effort such a great success."
"We have monthly service provider
meetings, and our families will approach any of us for assistance,"
Valerie Robinson, Leech Lake Housing case manager, said. "We
work hard at knowing what is happening at Conifer and pass along
important information to each other. This helps the three entities
identify problem areas as well as opportunities to help in positive
areas, then to act quickly so we can address the issues. We work well
together and share the responsibility of management and services to
our clients."
Nova Larson, Red Lake Housing
Authority, confirmed Robinson’s observations, "Valerie, Barb,
Karen and I not only work together well, we like and respect each
other. This camaraderie helps us help our residents by designing
programs in life-skills training, money management, etc. We also act
as liaisons between residents and social agencies to help them get on
their feet, if needed."
Conifer Estates, which grew out of the
planning process, is a collaborative effort between Headwaters
Housing Development Corporation, Beltrami County HRA, Red Lake
Nation, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Bi-County Community Action
Programs, Inc. The 20-unit development consists of 16 supportive,
three transitional housing units, and one caretaker’s unit, all
designed to successfully house long-term homeless families. Red Lake
HRA and Leech Lake HRA each hold the master lease for five units and
sublet these 10 units to eligible tribal members. The remaining nine
units are available to other households experiencing long-term
homelessness.
Conifer Estates serves eligible tribal citizens and long-term homeless people. In 2009, 393 people
were known to be homeless in the Northwest Region of Minnesota,
including 235 children and youth through age 21. As the economy
worsened and homelessness increased, housing leaders in Beltrami
initiated a planning process to bring a supportive housing project
into the community.
Conifer Estates, which grew out of the
planning process, is a collaborative effort between Headwaters
Housing Development Corporation, Beltrami County HRA, Red Lake
Nation, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Bi-County Community Action
Programs, Inc. The 20-unit development consists of 16 supportive,
three transitional housing units, and one caretaker’s unit, all
designed to successfully house long-term homeless families. Red Lake
HRA and Leech Lake HRA each hold the master lease for five units and
sublet these 10 units to eligible tribal members. The remaining nine
units are available to other households experiencing long-term
homelessness.
