1. Yakama Nation Housing Authority
2009 Yakama Nation Housing Assessment
American Public Health Association, Annual Meeting & Exposition Denver, Colorado – November 2010

2. “No relationships to disclose”
Presenter Disclosures
Peter Connery
The following personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this presentation existed during the past 12 months:
“No relationships to disclose” 2

3. Salmon fishing very important cultural and economic practice
Yakama Nation Background
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation is 10,000 + persons large
Located in Washington’s Columbia River plateau in southern part of Central WA
Salmon fishing very important cultural and economic practice

4. Random Survey of Native American (mostly enrolled
Survey Methods Overview
Random Survey of Native
American (mostly enrolled
Yakama) Households on the Reservation and Ceded Lands
659 total completed surveys
Includes 52 Columbia River surveys
Survey profiled the demographics and conditions of 2,637 household members 4

5. Survey Methods Overview (Cont’d)
Unit of analysis = household
2 page face-to-face survey administered
Eligible respondents – Native Americans living on the Reservation or Ceded Lands
Tribal Registry used to develop random sample – Final-95% CL – % CI
Response rates very high – 88% plus
$20 Gift cards used as response incentive
Enrolled Yakama trained as interviewers
Yakama living near Columbia River included

6. Yakama Nation Housing Needs Assessment Survey – Survey Sample Distribution: All Locations6

7. Yakama Nation Housing Needs Assessment Survey – Survey Sample Distribution: Reservation Detail7

8. Housing Profile

9. 86% Native American occupants only
Household Demographics
86% Native American occupants only
Compared to 4% of Yakama County population
82% enrolled members of the Yakama Nation
Yakama was spoken in 7% of households
42% of households had no children living in them
Median of 2 adults per household
Median of 2 children per household with children
Data suggests 2,632 households on Reservation with 8,612 enrolled Yakama 9

10. Household Size – Number of Members in Surveyed Households
Average Surveyed Household Size = 4.00
Average Household Size for Yakama County = 2.95
N=659

11. Average of 1.4 occupants per room
Overcrowding
Overcrowding is more than 1.0 occupants per room
54% of surveyed households were overcrowded, compared to 6% of Yakima County households
Nearly 10% of household members did not sleep in a bedroom
Average of 1.4 occupants per room

12. Family Composition 12 Household Family Composition Percent
Household with only one person (householder)
12.0%
Family household with only one householder and spouse/partner
9.1%
Family household with householder, spouse/partner, and children
22.9%
Family household with householder and children
14.4%
Household with nuclear family and parent or grandparent
3.0%
Household with extended family member
26.6%
Household with friend or other
Total Households
659 12

13. Income
The median annual household income from ALL sources was $17,790 for survey respondents.
This was much lower than the Yakama County median annual household income of $43,639. 13

14. Annual Family Income and Poverty Thresholds
Federal Poverty Threshold
% of Families Below Poverty Threshold
$14,366
$17,268
$21,756
51%
54%
62%
Source of Poverty Thresholds: U.S. Census

15. Percent of Respondents Who Are Currently Experiencing the Following Problems (Top Responses)
76% of households had at least one problem
643 respondents with 2,409 responses 15

16. Septic and Sewage Issues
10% of respondents reported having “sewage, drainage, waste water, or septic issues.”
N=33
Of Respondents Who Reported Having Had Problems with Sewage, Drainage, Waste Water, or Septic Issues, Length of Time They Have Had This Problem

17. 4% had other living arrangements (RV, camper, tent, etc.)
Owning vs. Renting
57% of respondents owned their home, while 39% lived in rented property
4% had other living arrangements (RV, camper, tent, etc.)
Only 20% of property owners had a mortgage
Median monthly mortgage for surveyed households was $450
Yakama County median monthly mortgage was $1,198 17

18. Troubles with Renting
37% of current renters have had difficulty renting housing in the area
Top Barriers Reported As Having Prevented Respondents from Being Able to Rent a Place to Live
97 respondents with 294 responses

19. Housing Preferences – Where Respondents Would Prefer to Live if Housing Were Available

20. Top Three Most Important Factors to Respondents When Considering Housing20

21. Home Buying
18% of respondents were actively planning to build or purchase a home in the next three years
Of Respondents Who Faced Any Obstacles to Purchasing a Home, Top Obstacles that Prevented Them from Being Able to Successfully Purchase Home
85 respondents with 376 responses

22. Community Concerns

23. 649 respondents with 4,993 responses
Top Issues That Respondents Were Most Worried About
649 respondents with 4,993 responses

24. Respondents’ Perception on Their Level of Influence Over the Following Issues

25. Transportation
10% of respondents did not usually have reliable transportation to services they needed in Washington
26% of respondents used the new bus service
Of those respondents who used the new bus service, percent whose needs were being met
N=168

26. Homelessness

27. Homeless Counts
2009 Yakama County Point-in-Time Homeless County reported 217 homeless American Indians in Yakama County
Noah’s Ark Homeless Shelter record review indicated about 150 Native Americans, mostly Yakamas, had been clients at least one night 27

28. Respondents’ Level of Concern About the Issue of Homelessness on the Yakama Reservation

29. Columbia River

30. 69% of household members were enrolled Yakama
Profile of Columbia River Respondents
Two-thirds of River respondents lived on or near the Columbia River year-round
69% of household members were enrolled Yakama
57% traveled with their families on fishing trips
58% of respondents who traveled to the River to fish went 2 to 3 times per year
32% stayed for 2 months
26% stayed for 5 or 6 months 30

31. 51 respondents with 130 responses
Reasons for Fishing Along the Columbia River
51 respondents with 130 responses

32. 51 respondents with 102 responses
Types of Help the Yakama Nation Should Provide for Columbia River Fishing
51 respondents with 102 responses

33. 50 respondents with 415 responses
Community Concerns: Top Issues That Columbia River Respondents Were Most Worried About
50 respondents with 415 responses

34. Percentage of Columbia River Respondents Who Felt They Had No Influence At All Over the Following Issues
N=50

35. Poverty and unemployment data is striking
Research Comments
Poverty and unemployment data is striking
Need to increase public safety initiatives
Community engagement indicators are very low
New construction should reflect larger Yakama households (4 vs 3 in Yakama County)
Need for rental assistance
Need more help in sanitation & garbage services 35

36. Homeless services should be developed
Research Comments (cont’d)
Homeless services should be developed
Need for home ownership education
New construction
Maintenance (more housing rehab effort)
Columbia River Yakama are more disengaged from Tribe and want more local services
Develop more seasonal and permanent access to Columbia River ceded lands
Regularly measure progress with community indicators 36

37. Peter Connery, Vice President
Thank You
For More Information:
Peter Connery, Vice President
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