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Sokaogon Chippewa Community Gets Large Housing Awards

Kim Swisher/Brandon Thoms

Two awards from the Federal Home Loan Bank in Chicago will enable the construction of a large amount of affordable housing units in Forest county.

The Affordable Housing Program awarded two grants totaling  $846,000 to the Mole Lake  Sokaogon Chippewa Community. Jeff Ackley is the Sokaogon Housing Director and Tribal Program Administrator. He says the money will help offset the costs of two development projects. He says one grant will convert the Mole Lake Motel  into  supportive residence building...

"....for tribal elders, veterans, and handicapped individuals. That's one demographic of people that we have that we see that needs housing...."

The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority--WHEDA--is also involved with the effort.

Ackley says the second  grant...totaling $432,000... will help build 24 single family low-income energy-efficient housing units. Ackley says they plan to begin construction on both projects during January. He says they hope to have the projects completed by the end of 2015. He says they're having a meeting for contractors who would like to bid on the projects on December 9 at the Sokaogon Housing Offices in Mole Lake....

".....these two projects are significant for our community since they're the two bigger development projects we've had in our community in the past 15-20 years. To provide this many units for our growing population...."

Ackley says a number of people will be able to return to Mole Lake to live because they now will have affordable housing.

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