FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2019
OKMULGEE, Okla. – On March 28, 2019, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation held a groundbreaking ceremony to announce the construction of the AKHVSE TVTCENEN(Three Ponds) Elder Housing Community, which will be located near the Tribal Capitol Complex in Okmulgee, Okla.
The future development is part of the Nation’s Tribal Master Site Plan and once completed, will provide housing for 72 Muscogee (Creek) elder households.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, the MCN Housing Manager Thomas Harjo expressed the Nation’s need for additional elder housing, which the MCN DOH recognized after conducting a Housing Needs Assessment.
“The Department of Housing recognized the basic needs and rights afforded to our citizens,” Harjo said. “We are committed to providing our elders with the assistance needed in order to continue living the highest quality of life with dignity and respect.”
The MCN Principal Chief James R. Floyd also shared during the celebration his thoughts on the monumental project.
“It’s very gratifying to be here today and to show everybody not just the plans, but the activity that’s going to be going on here,” Principal Chief Floyd said. “When we do the homes for our elderly and we approach this, I think the two things that very much work on our minds is that they need to be homes and it needs to be a lifestyle. More of our citizens are getting into the elderly category in normal time. So, the demand is only going to rise but they are living longer and we wanted to make sure that we have a plan for them to have a healthy lifestyle as they age.”
Muscogee (Creek) citizen and owner of New Fire Native Design Group, Jason Holuby, presented the features and renderings for the Three Ponds Addition, which was designed with a focus on the health and wellness needs of the elders.
“One of the first things that we did was establish a mission statement for this project and that was to create an internally-focused community that’s in harmony with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s values with an emphasis on serving the elderly community,” Holuby said. “Some key goals for the project were to incorporate culture and to do that in a sensitive and respectful manner; but to really celebrate the Creek culture and incorporate elements of that not only to the site, but into the housing units themselves.”
A significant part of the 36-acre development will be a large activity center equipped with a cafe, kitchen and fitness center, as well as several other community benefits.
The activity center will also include a health check-up room, which will give residents access to routine healthcare check-ups that will be offered by the MCN Department of Health staff each week.
The community will also promote a healthy lifestyle for residents by incorporating a community garden, walking trails and various other outdoor activities for the elders and their families to enjoy.
Each one-bedroom house will come standard with wheelchair accessibility and equipped with an emergency call service feature that will provide emergency assistance in a timely manner.
The housing addition will be located in Okmulgee, Okla., off of the Highway 56 Loop at the intersection of N. Mission Road and E. Eufaula Street, near the College of the Muscogee Nation.
For additional information regarding the future Three Ponds Elder Housing Community or the Elder Housing Program, visit the Dept. of Housing website at www.mcnhousing.comor call 918-549-2500.
###
