![]() The Rawhide Press survey found that the local policies encourage people to look for jobs off the reservation and away from home, causing hardships, particularly with time, gas and transportation. Rawhide Press is one of 10 news partners in the collaboration project, which is led by the Institute for Nonprofit News and Indian Country Today through grants from the Walton Family Foundation. ![]() Tribal citizens recently released from prison have special problems because of additional housing limitations.Ī recent local survey by the Rawhide Press, conducted as part of a special report, At the Crossroads: State of the Economy in Indian Country, found that many tribal citizens believe there is lateral and systemic oppression that keeps them from digging their way out of poverty. The problems hit particularly hard for people starting over, young people with nowhere to live because of lack of housing, and the elderly, officials said. TANF is available for families for up to 60 months, though it can be continued indefinitely if the unemployment rate is greater than 50%. ![]() The current unemployment rate on the Spokane Indian Reservation is about 37%, officials said. “These expenses could be a big hit to their income once they start earning a wage while trying to get back on their feet.” “People can’t afford to get off of TANF and get to work,” said Ricki Peone, the Spokane Tribe’s director of health and human services. Under federal and tribal policies and regulations, benefits such as Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, are cut even for people earning poverty wages.įor too many, a job costs more than not having one. The typical low-wage job available to many tribal citizens likely will mean a loss of housing subsidies and food assistance, with the added costs of child care. ![]() This reporting was made possible with support from the Walton Family Foundation. This story is part of a collaborative series, “At the Crossroads," from the Institute for Nonprofit News, Indian Country Today, Rawhide Press and eight other news partners, examining the state of the economy in Indian Country. ![]()
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