Iowa Tribe Housing Authority celebrates housing milestone  

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- The Housing Authority of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for its new Campbell Housing Complex.

This ceremony marked a milestone for the Housing Authority of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, as well as for Native American communities more broadly.  

The new, state-of-the-art homes are a step toward addressing the ongoing housing shortage in Indian Country, while also reflecting the tribe’s strength, progress and forward momentum.  

Bradley Campbell, executive director of the Housing Authority for the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, said this project has been in the works for quite some time.  

"We just want to be proud of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska and everything they have accomplished so far. It will benefit the community since there are no housing on the reservation and we need that,” Campbell said.  

He hopes community members and tribal citizens will see the progress being made and feel encouraged to return to the reservation. 

Campbell also explained that the homes will be fully electric, which should make utilities more affordable for residents. 

Kelvin St. John, a community member who traveled from Olathe, Kansas, to attend the ceremony, said the experience was powerful. 

"It's really great to see that these homes are going to be built and tribal people will be able to come back and have a wonderful place to live in the community,” St. John said.  

He said his favorite part of the event was listening to the drums, and one of his biggest takeaways was seeing how advancing technology—like 3D-printed homes—can improve people’s lives. He’s even hoping to return in June to watch the houses being printed.  

Another attendee, Vickie Adams, said the event was especially meaningful to her. She’s been coming to the area since she was a child.  

"It's really exciting because after I graduated from college I moved away and now that I am retired, I came back to this area. I live is Falls City (Nebraska) which is about 17 miles away but I come here every week,” Adams said.  

Adams said she believes more people should attend events like this to stay connected to the community.  

"Last year I had a family member who passed away and I arranged for a tour at the reservation and I had 20 family members who came down and we learnt a wealth of knowledge of what happens down here,” Adams said.  

Adams also said how the event felt perfect, and it was the people who made it truly special—from the construction crews to the financial team to the board. She said it was all incredibly impressive. 

Construction crews will continue their work on Thursday, April 16.

The Tribe said crews also expect to have equipment ready to print homes by mid-June.