Statewide Native Veterans Housing Needs and Homeownership Study
Project Profile
Client:
The South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition
Project Location:
South Dakota
Project Time Frame:
June 2023 - July 2025
Services:
Intercept Survey
Analysis of Newly Collected Data
Areas of Focus:
Demographics
Housing Conditions, Needs, and Preferences
Income and Finances
Veterans Services
Project Description
The Statewide Native Veterans Housing Needs and Homeownership Study was conducted from June of 2023 until June of 2025 by the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition (SDNHOC) in cooperation with Big Water Consulting, Lakota Funds, and several tribal stakeholders.
The previous study (often referred to as the “pilot study”), which concluded in 2019, collected data from three tribes in South Dakota: the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. The goal of this study was to collect data from Native veterans representing all nine tribes in the state to better identify the barriers to housing and services faced by veterans across all of South Dakota. In doing so, programs and funding avenues could be intentionally tailored to meet the specific and unique needs of each community. Additionally, since this survey included contact information from each responding veteran, service providers can choose to directly engage with respondents to further strategize program development on an individual tribal basis.
Information was collected from participating Native veterans using an intercept survey; the content was developed in collaboration with the project’s advisory group consisting of tribal stakeholders around the state. The survey questions addressed key demographic information, period of military service, education, employment status, income and finances, housing context and preferences, and use of and familiarity with VA benefits and services. This revised study also included more in-depth questions regarding veterans’ current and preferred living situations, housing challenges, use of veteran-focused benefits and services, and suggestions for supportive services and programs.
Click to view the final report.
