Honoring Elders: California Tribe Breaks Ground on Affordable Housing

The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians is launching its first senior housing project in Los Angeles County, creating 26 affordable units for Native elders on fee land in the northern part of the county. This initiative — developed in partnership with Pukúu Cultural Community Services and Aszkenazy Development Inc. — marks a milestone for the tribe, which aims to address long-standing housing challenges for its members and the wider Native American community.

Tribal President Rudy Ortega Jr. emphasized the historical significance of the development, noting that while Native Americans were among the first to be displaced, they are often among the last to receive aid. The $12 million project is funded by the state’s Tribal Homekey program, part of a broader $91 million initiative by Governor Gavin Newsom to support tribal housing efforts. Additional backing came from the California Housing and Community Development Department, Los Angeles County, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Because the development is on fee land rather than federal trust land, the tribe can move forward without federal jurisdictional hurdles. Pukúu, the tribe’s nonprofit arm, will provide resident services once the project is complete. Executive Director Pamela Villaseñor, a tribal citizen, framed the project as the culmination of generations of advocacy: “More than 100 years later, we will house the people once again,” she said, honoring the legal battles fought by her ancestors to retain their homeland.