Contents
- 1 Sixteen homes are funded, and one is reported occupied
- 2 The next housing choices depend on costs and needs these records do not yet show
- 3 HUD’s records confirm the money; Housing’s reports describe the progress
- 4 The records do not yet show which homes are finished, what they cost, or who still needs help
- 5 Housing runs the programs and HUD funds them; who approves new purchases is not yet established
- 6 Members can ask Housing for help, for the records and for a dated answer
- 7 Six questions get members a dated answer on the homes, the money and the need
- 8 The next performance report and the pending-grant decisions could change this picture
- 9 The awards came in 2024; the first reported move-in came in June 2026
- Sources
- Corrections
Downloads: briefing PDF · question card PDF
The Long Return · Community briefing
Pit River Housing
The homes being built—and the choices ahead
Two federal grants are paying for 16 planned Pit River homes; Housing reports one occupied so far, and members can ask Housing for the records that show where the rest stand. Record · S06, S07 Reported · S08
PUBLIC WITH OPEN CONFIRMATION Independent public-information work by The Long Return. Not an official notice of any Tribe, band, agency or government. Verified through 28 October 2026. Version 1.0. Corrections: thelongreturn.org/sources-and-corrections.html.
Sixteen homes are funded, and one is reported occupied
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded Pit River two competitive grants for new homes: $2,977,207 for nine homes on its fiscal year 2023 list, and $4,916,331 for seven homes on its fiscal year 2024 list. Together that is $7,893,538 for 16 planned homes. Record · S06, S07
Pit River Tribal Housing Board (“Housing”) reports that the nine homes are at Montgomery Creek (six) and XL (three), and that the seven are at Tamarack, where the award also pays for roads and other site work. Housing reported one XL home occupied on June 26, 2026. The October Treasurer’s Report describes a new Montgomery Creek home whose ownership was transferred to a member on September 15. Reported · S08, S11
The records reviewed do not show how far along the other homes are, what each one costs, or what Housing’s four pending funding requests, about $24.8 million in all, would pay for. Open
Planned homes, not completed homes. Tamarack’s award also pays for site work. Record · S06, S07 Reported · S08
The next housing choices depend on costs and needs these records do not yet show
Housing and the Tribe’s decision-makers will keep choosing how to spend housing money: build more homes, buy existing ones, repair homes people live in, or help with rent. Option Each choice solves a different problem, and the one that looks cheapest is not always the cheapest. Analysis · S24, S26
Take the Tamarack award. Dividing $4,916,331 by its seven homes gives about $702,000 a home, but the award also pays for engineering, permits, grading, roads, sidewalks and solar lighting, so that figure is not the price of a house. Analysis · S07, S08 A house bought instead carries closing costs, repairs and possible water or septic problems, and every home brings heating, insurance and repair bills after a family moves in. Analysis · S24, S26
The right choice also depends on who needs help. A family waiting for a rental, an elder who needs a safe entrance and someone staying with relatives may each need something different. HUD’s funding-formula figures help set Pit River’s yearly grant, but they are not a count of members waiting for homes. Record · S01, S02, S04 That is why the records members can ask for matter now.
HUD’s records confirm the money; Housing’s reports describe the progress
Seven findings, each labeled by how it is known. “Record” means an official document; “Reported” means the issuing body’s own account.
- F1
- F2
Housing’s 2026 report places six of the nine homes at Montgomery Creek and three at XL. It reports one XL home occupied on June 26, 2026, and another under construction when the report was prepared, but it does not clearly date every progress update. Reported · S08
- F3
The same report lists Tamarack’s site work with its seven homes: road design, engineering, permitting, clearing, grading, erosion control, solar lighting, roads and sidewalks. It also describes a separate $1,935,691 grant (ICDBG 2023) for three Tamarack homes and infrastructure; whether those three are part of the seven is not established. Reported · S08
- F4
The October 17, 2026 Treasurer’s Report calls a Montgomery Creek property a new home transferred to a member on September 15, 2026, without giving its first move-in date. A transfer of ownership is a different event from finishing or first occupying a home. Reported · S11
- F5
At September 30, 2026, the same report lists six Housing grants totaling $16,715,794 and four pending applications totaling $24,803,490 (about $24.8 million). Pending applications are requests, not approved money. It also reports Housing’s 2025 audit completed with zero findings. Reported · S11
- F6
HUD’s formula sheets list a “Housing Shortage” of 989 for fiscal year 2025 and 820 for fiscal year 2026. HUD’s rule calculates it from low-income Native households in the formula area, minus existing assisted homes and homes developed under the federal Native housing law. It is a funding input, not a waiting list, and the drop does not show that 169 homes were built. Record · S01, S02, S04
- F7
Federal law requires the grant recipient to make its yearly performance report available to “citizens in the jurisdiction” for comment before the report goes to HUD, and to include a summary of the comments. The recipient decides the manner and timing. Record · S05
The records do not yet show which homes are finished, what they cost, or who still needs help
- U1
How many of the 16 homes are finished, inspected and occupied. Open
Would resolve it: A dated, home-by-home status list. Who could answer: Housing
- U2
What Tamarack’s site work costs, which homes it serves, and whether the three ICDBG homes are part of the seven. Open
Would resolve it: Approved budgets and award scopes. Who could answer: Housing
- U3
What the four pending applications would pay for, when decisions are due, and how they relate to the $1,177,440 XL pre-development and $5,000,000 Burney apartment requests in Housing’s report. Open
Would resolve it: Application summaries with amounts and dates. Who could answer: Housing; the Treasurer
- U4
How many members need a home, a repair or rental help now, including members living away who would come home. Open
Would resolve it: Application and waiting-list totals, plus a voluntary member needs review. Who could answer: Housing
- U5
Where and when members can read the current Indian Housing Plan and Annual Performance Report, and comment. Open
Would resolve it: Housing’s posted access route and comment dates. Who could answer: Housing
- U6
Who can approve buying homes or changing programs, and under which governing document. Open
Would resolve it: Housing’s ordinance and bylaws; the Tribe’s governing documents. Who could answer: Housing; Tribal Council
The Indian Housing Plan is Housing’s yearly plan of housing activities. The Annual Performance Report is its yearly account of how grant money was used and what was accomplished. Record · S05, S12 The author has not read the current plan or report; they may already answer some of these questions. Open
Members can ask Housing for help, for the records and for a dated answer
- 1
Get help now. Call Housing at (530) 335-4809 or visit 20300 Fir Street, Burney. If you need an elder or family rental, ask about Wiyachi Village and XL. If your home needs a serious repair, ask about Rehabilitation Assistance. If you are buying a first home, ask about Down Payment Assistance. If you need major housing or sanitation work, ask about the BIA and IHS applications. Record · S12, S13, S14, S16, S17, S18
Who responds: Housing
- 2
Ask for the plan and the report. Ask Housing where to read the current Indian Housing Plan and the latest Annual Performance Report, and when the next comment opportunity is. Analysis · S05
Who responds: Housing
- 3
Ask where each home stands. Ask for a dated, home-by-home status of the 16 planned homes: planned, underway, ready, occupied. Open
Who responds: Housing
- 4
Ask about the pending requests. Ask what the four pending applications would pay for and when decisions are expected. Reported · S11
Who responds: Housing
- 5
Bring the question card. Use the card in Section 7 at the next Housing Board or membership meeting, or on a call, and keep your own notes of the answers.
Who responds: Housing; Tribal Council
Program terms were checked on October 28, 2026; posted limits describe the program, not a guaranteed award. Keep income, medical, enrollment and family details in Housing’s private process. Record · S16, S17
Six questions get members a dated answer on the homes, the money and the need
This card helps members ask Housing six questions and keep the answers.
Select Tick the questions that matter to you. Ask for a dated answer and for totals, not names.
- 1
Which homes are ready, and what is left to finish?
A useful answer includes: For each grant: how many homes are planned, underway, ready and occupied, as of what date.
Who can answer: Housing
- 2
What are the four pending funding requests for?
A useful answer includes: What the $24.8 million requested at September 30, 2026 would pay for, and when decisions are expected. Requests are not approved money.
Who can answer: Housing
- 3
What will the work cost—and who pays after move-in?
A useful answer includes: Spending so far, remaining work and its cost, and which bills fall to the household and which to Housing.
Who can answer: Housing
- 4
Who still needs help?
A useful answer includes: Totals for people waiting for homes, households needing repairs, and members staying temporarily with relatives.
Who can answer: Housing
- 5
Where can we read the Indian Housing Plan and comment on the Annual Performance Report?
A useful answer includes: The year covered, how to get a copy, the comment dates and whom to contact.
Who can answer: Housing
- 6
Who can approve changes, and when will members hear back?
A useful answer includes: The office or body that decides, and the next update date.
Who can answer: Tribal Council or Housing
Organise Keep a record of each answer.
| Date | Who answered | What they said | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|
Check What did this card not help you ask? Send the gap or correction through thelongreturn.org/sources-and-corrections.html.
Sources: Treasurer’s Report, 17 October 2026 (S11); 25 USC §4164 (S05); Housing Board program pages (S12–S18), checked 28 October 2026.
Field tool from Pit River Housing, version 1.0, The Long Return. Independent public-information work by The Long Return. Not an official notice of any Tribe, band, agency or government. Verified through 28 October 2026. Corrections: thelongreturn.org/sources-and-corrections.html.
The next performance report and the pending-grant decisions could change this picture
| What to watch | When | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Next Annual Performance Report comment opportunity | Date not established; ask Housing. | It is the official yearly account of what the grants paid for. |
| Decisions on the four pending applications ($24,803,490) | Dates not established. | An award would add projects and money; a denial would not. |
| Remaining FY2023 homes | One XL home occupied June 26, 2026; another was under construction. | Completion and occupancy show delivery. |
| Tamarack site work and its seven homes | No completion date in the records reviewed. | Site work comes before the homes. |
| Next Treasurer’s Report to a membership meeting | 2026 reports came on January 17, April 11 and October 17; next date not established. | It updates grant totals and pending requests. |
| HUD’s fiscal year 2027 formula sheet | Publication date not established. | It updates the formula figures in finding F6. |
| This briefing’s re-check | By 26 January 2027, or sooner if any item above changes. | The default 90-day re-check under The Long Return’s standard. |
The awards came in 2024; the first reported move-in came in June 2026
The two competitive awards were announced in mid- and late 2024. Housing’s 2026 plan was reported approved and submitted in September 2025, and the first reported occupancy and ownership transfer followed in 2026. The events below are of different kinds and are shown in order, not to scale.
- 29 Jul 2024Nine-home award announcedFY2023 federal award Record · S06
- 27 Dec 2024Seven-home award announcedFY2024 federal award Record · S07
- Sep 20252026 Housing Plan approved and submittedReported in January 2026 Reported · S09
- 26 Jun 2026One XL home occupiedReported by Housing Reported · S08
- 15 Sep 2026New Montgomery Creek home transferredOwnership transfer; first move-in date not given Reported · S11
- 30 Sep 2026Six grants and four applications reportedAmounts reported as of that date Reported · S11
Dates are source-reported events, not a complete construction schedule.
Sources
This page lists the sources cited in the briefing. Sources marked “supplied” remain with their issuer and are not redistributed.
Corrections
Send corrections or new public sources through thelongreturn.org/sources-and-corrections.html or chrisknorr.mail@gmail.com. Include the section, the statement, your source and the proposed correction. Do not send private household information.
Version 1.0 was issued for public use on 29 October 2026. It preserves the verified-through date of 28 October 2026. Later factual corrections or status changes will create a new public version; this version will remain available in the publication record.