The Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority held a workshop at the Nolan Center last week, to cover a variety of topics. The group brought together members of Wrangell's native community, and the wider public, to share information about the census, financial planning, and preventative home maintenance.
Esther Ashton, tribal administrator for the Wrangell Cooperative Association, led the discussion on the census. It is very important for the native community to respond to the census this spring, she said, as it helps determine the amount of financial aid the tribe can receive. Alaska received $3.5 billion in federal funding based on census data, according to flyers Ashton passed out, by the Alaska Federation of Natives. Since the census takes place once every 10 years, Ashton said everyone needs to keep in mind that the results of the census would have long-term consequences on such local programs as Head Start, SNAP, and WIC.
Additionally, she said that there was important information specifically for the native community to remember when they fill out the census form. Two questions on the census need to be filled out in a certain way to maintain funding.
"If you turn the sheet to Question Five, this is answering 'person one' under the census,'' she said. "'Person one' is very critical if you're living in, this relates to a mixed home where there's a native and a non-native. It's extremely critical you list 'person one' as the native person in the home.''
"Question Nine is related to tribal affiliation,'' Ashton continued. "What you're supposed to do on Question Nine, on tribal affiliation, is list your federally recognized tribe. So a lot of you here are members of Wrangell Cooperative Association, so on Question Nine you put Wrangell Cooperative Association.''
After passing out the census information, Desiree Jackson with THRHA gave a presentation on "Financial Cent$,'' or basic info on financial planning. This information included how to set a budget and finding ways to save money.
"A budget is something that just helps you track your income versus expenses, and how much money you make, your spending habits, and the difference between the two,'' Jackson said. "It also lets you know if you're living within your means.''
When it comes to budgeting, Jackson said that a good rule of thumb to use is the "50/20/30'' rule for a monthly budget. Half, or 50 percent, of one's income should go to cover essentials like housing costs, groceries, student loans, and others. 20 percent of one's monthly income should be set aside for savings or retirement, so the person budgeting has a windfall in case of emergency, and can start saving for retirement one day. Jackson said that it can be very hard to save 20 percent, but it is just a general goal to set. The remaining 30 percent of the budget can be spent on lifestyle choices. This is fun money, essentially, for nonessential expenses like a Netflix account, going to sporting events, and other items like that.
"This gets us into flexible versus non-flexible expenses,'' Jackson said. "Communication is definitely a 'need.' It's important, I mean we like in Alaska, we all need to be connected. But it's one of these things where, do you need an iPhone? Or can you get away with maybe something a little different?''
When budgeting, Jackson also emphasized the importance of reviewing and updating one's budget. Once a budget is set, it should be tracked for a period of time to see if it accurately covers expenses. Then, the budget should be reviewed and updated to meet realistic needs. It is also important to save money wherever possible, to help prepare for retirement, she added.
Larry Gamez, also with THRHA, gave a presentation after Jackson on preventative home maintenance. It is important for people to keep up with maintenance in their homes, he said, for a number of reasons. It makes homes safer, for one, and also keeps expenses down. The running theme of Gamez's presentation was to always fix problems as soon as they are identified, and not wait.
"Toilet's leaking, I just noticed that this morning and I got the weekend coming along,'' Gamez gave an example. "My best bet is to, this weekend, go pick up a $10 tube of caulking and a $10 caulking gun and fix it. The next deal is I wait six or seven months. Now my vinyl's damaged, now my vinyl's sopping wet ... So now I'm not paying attention and I'm procrastinating. I want to fix it next year. Been leaking bad. Now it's in my floor joints, alright? Now it went through my subfloor, my floor joints are rotting out.''
There are a number of areas around the house Gamez said homeowners should regularly inspect. Basements and foundations should regularly be inspected, he said. Gutters need to be cleaned, and water needs to always be flowing away from a house's foundation, not towards it. Roofs need to be checked for missing tiles, holes, leaks, and cleaned regularly. Wall sidings need to be checked for rot and peeling paint. Vents need to be cleaned regularly, as they can be a fire hazard. Interior items like sinks, toilets, and showers need to be checked for leaks, as well. Support beams and joints also need to be inspected for mold, rot, or any warping. Lastly, Gamez said, electronics and outlets need to be checked for wear and tear.
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