It depends. For all Qualla Housing Services, yes, at least one member of the household must be an enrolled member of a Federally recognized tribe.

For all Housing and Community Development services, yes, at least one member of the household must be an enrolled member of a Federally recognized tribe with one exception; anyone can apply for our market-rate rental, however, tribally enrolled members receive priority.

Due to the extremely high need for housing in this area, we are unable to allow applicants to choose which units they prefer. All programs operate utilizing a waiting list based on the date and time the application was completed. One exception is our HCD Market-Rate rentals. While all demographics are encouraged to apply, priority is given to enrolled members of the EBCI.

Currently, the EBCI does not have a Real Estate Department that keeps an inventory of homes for sale on tribal trust land. However, Tribal Realty Services (TRS) and CIHD do help coordinate with individuals wanting to sell their homes to other enrolled members through private sales. In addition, though rare, there are times when a house is either repossessed, purchased or becomes CIHD property by other means, when this happens, depending on the department, CIHD typically advertises these properties in the local newspapers and social media.

First, you must be sure the land is in your name. This begins at Tribal Realty Services (TRS) located at 257 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, NC 28719. Once a TRS employee verifies the land is in your name, you must apply for a Site Inspection, typically called a Long Form. This confirms that the land is suitable for a home and is used to determine the size, utilities, restrictions, etc.

The Housing Committee is no longer a Board; it is solely a committee for counsel and information. All grievances are handled through the EBCI chain of command, i.e., Managers first, then Director(s), and lastly the Secretary of Housing.