Tribe's Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget passes; financial plan totals more than $39 million

The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C.
·2 min read

Sep. 28—PEMBROKE — The Lumbee Tribal Council during its September business meeting voted to approve the creation of a new Health and Human Services Department for the Robeson County-based tribe, according to a news release.

The September business meeting also saw the passage of the tribe's 2023-2024 Fiscal Year budget that totals more than $39 million, the release said.

That marks an increase from the previous year, which totaled $33.3 million for the 2022-23 Fiscal Year.

Regarding the new Health and Human Services Department, the news release said, "This is a historic step for the Lumbee Tribe and follows the creation of an Agriculture and Natural Resources Department in 2022."

Tribal Chairman John Lowery commended the council for voting to establish a Health and Human Services Department.

"The Lumbee Tribe continues to build our capacity and expand our bandwidth and this allows us to pursue additional funding and program opportunities that we can provide to our tribal citizens," he said in the Lumbee Tribe release.

Councilman Jody Bullard, who chairs the Lumbee Tribal Council's Health and Human Services Committee, said in the release: "I am glad we have created this new department, as it follows the work of our council voting to create a Lumbee Health Board last year. This new department will allow us to provide different types of health-related services once we have secured funding."

Meanwhile, Lowery applauded the passage of the annual budget for 2023-2024, saying in the release: "This new budget will allow us to build additional Lumbee elder living sites, provide more funds for new homeownership programs, help disabled tribal members get into the workforce and continue to provide educational opportunities for our youth."

No one was available late Wednesday afternoon for additional comment on the importance of the creation of the new Health and Human Services Department and the newly passed budget, spokeswoman Natasha Oxendine said.

According to the Lumbee Tribe, the new financial plan includes an allocation of $33.9 million for the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act housing funding.

The housing budget is an increase from the previous year, which was $26.8 million.

The Residential Services Department, a new part of the budget, was said to be a program that "will focus on transitioning families from rental housing to permanent housing with a potential goal of homeownership."

The tribe said the new program will also provide services around workforce development to offer assistance with employment skills and other tools to empower citizens.

The newly passed budget calls for new elder housing in District 3, which was hard hit by recent hurricanes, according to the tribe. It also looks at alternatives to mobile home replacement such as the construction of small homes for the Lumbee Tribe's elders and veterans.