Dallesport wary of tribal housing idea

About 50 local residents showed up at the Dallesport Community Center Monday evening to discuss a possible tribal housing project that could be built in the community.

Bill Morris, a member of the Dallesport Community Council, organized the June 5 meeting. He said the purpose was primarily to discuss a proposal by the Yakama Nation Housing Authority, which is considering purchasing a 47.5-acre parcel in Dallesport and building tribal housing on the land. Morris said the property is directly south of Third Street in Dallesport, and extends to the Columbia River.

“We want to get as much information out there as fast as possible. There is a lot at stake here,” Morris said.

Some citizens at the meeting expressed concern that any tribal housing development could become sovereign property within Dallesport.

“If the Yakama Nation Housing Authority takes hold of this property, how is it going to be policed?” asked one man at the event.

“If this becomes reality, the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office will be in charge of enforcing the law there,” said Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer, who had been asked to attend the public forum. “We’d respond and make arrests, and they’d be taken to the Klickitat County Jail.”

Morris said he invited Songer so he could address the tribal housing concept with residents directly.

“The first thing is, we need to make sure all Dallesport residents understand who the law enforcing officers are if this goes through,” Morris said.

Following the meeting, Morris said he believed the community is united in its opposition to a tribal housing project in Dallesport, and he urged the crowd to “remain engaged over the long term.”

“We as a community continue to move forward in full opposition to the YNHA plan, because it will devastate our water system, our sewer system, the Lyle School District, the fire district and the Klickitat County tax base,” he said. “The entire community is in opposition to this, and we have a fully engaged community.”

Morris explained that if tribal interests purchase the land, after 15 years it could become sovereign tribal property.

“And the minute it becomes tribal property, zero taxes get paid,” Morris said. “It’s that devastating after-effect we’re so concerned about.”

Craig Dougall, executive director of the Yakama Nation Housing Authority, said he had discussed the issue of taxes in a public meeting at the Dallesport Community Council meeting last month, and pointed out there would be significant benefits to the community if the residential project is built.

“The Nation receives no additional tax relief when constructing a housing development,” Dougall explained. “We would have no additional impact on the tax base that any other low-income developer would have. Our argument is that development would assist with the reopening of the local school, and assist in the payments to operate local utilities. Besides, one would think that assisting homeless folks along the river would be seen as a positive for local residents.”

Another meeting on the possibility of a tribal housing project in Dallesport was planned for June 19, again at the Dallesport Community Center, starting at 6:30 p.m.

At that event, Morris will discuss what he called the “horrendous living conditions” at YNHA housing projects in Wapato, Toppenish, and White Swan in Washington.

“The aged-out ones are in the worst condition ever imagined,” Morris said.

Dougall rejected Morris’ assertion about the YNHA properties.

“We have only a handful of homes in White Swan — less than 20, I believe — and none in Toppenish other than our retirement home, which is in terrific shape and rivals any managed property in Yakima County,” Dougall said.