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TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation (HACN) held its monthly Board of Commissioner’s meeting Tuesday, July 22. The HACN/Cherokee Nation work group final recommendations were discussed and the Board took action approving one recommendation related to staffing. This action will consolidate the administrative staff of seven area directors to four area directors. Therefore, the Housing Authority reduces from seven area offices to four area offices within the 14-county Cherokee Nation jurisdictional boundaries.

No HACN offices will be closed, however, the Area Offices of Locust Grove, Owasso and Stilwell will be renamed as field offices. Area 1 serving Cherokee county will be combined with Area 2 serving Adair county with the Area Office located in Tahlequah. The Tahlequah Area Office will also absorb services for Wagoner county. Area 3 Area Office located in Sallisaw will remain serving Sequoyah, Muskogee and McIntosh counties. Area 4 serving Delaware and Ottawa counties will be combined with Area 5 serving Mayes County with the Area Office located in Jay. Area 6 serving Rogers and Nowata will be combined with Area 7 serving Tulsa and Washington counties with the Area Office in Claremore. The Claremore Area Office will also serve Craig county.

"The consolidation of offices will result in the elimination of 37 positions for a savings of $1.5 million providing additional funds to build or acquire houses, rehabilitate houses and provide rental assistance", stated David Southerland, Interim Executive Director.

"If we maintain current staffing levels, the housing services would suffer and our main mission is to provide housing for Cherokee people", stated Dick McNair, HACN Commissioner.

"While the administrative staff of the area offices are being consolidated, housing services nor customer service will suffer", stated Southerland.

In March of 2003, the HACN Board authorized a joint HACN/Cherokee Nation work group to analyze and review the organization and management structure of the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation. As a result, the workgroup presented a final report with 42 recommendations for the Board. Resolutions passed at the HACN Board Meeting include: * A resolution approving a change in the Housing Authority’s health care coverage and the employee’s costs of the coverage.

"It is unfortunate that we have to make these changes to our health care coverage, it is simply not feasible for the Housing Authority to afford a 33.41 percent increase in health care coverage premiums", stated Southerland.

The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation Board of Commissioners Meeting is open to the public. The next meeting will be at 5:30 p.m., on Tuesday, August 26, 2003, at the HACN Alyene Hogner Administration Building in the Conference Room, located at 1500 Hensley Drive, Tahlequah.