Minority-Owned Firm Building Resilient Homes For New York Poospatuck Reservation Families

by 05/11/2017

Rebuilding Team: Thomasina Mack (Trustee, Unkechaug Nation), Walter Oden (CEO, Oden Development), Tafara “Harry” Tigire (Oden Development – Project Manager), and Chief Harry Wallace (Unkechaug Nation)

Nationwide — The New York Governors Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR) helped fund housing through the “New York Housing Recovery Program”. The Governors Office of Storm Recovery assists property owners who have been impacted by Superstorm Sandy, including those on the Poospatuck Reservation.

The Poospatuck Reservation is home to a Native American community and the smallest Indian Nation in New York State. The tight knit community led by Chief Harry Wallace is located in Suffolk County in Mastic, New York on the north side of Poospatuck Creek. As a result of the development expertise of Oden Development LLC, a firm owned by Walter Oden, eight families will move into their manufactured homes this spring.

Chief Wallace stated, “Those eight families selected Oden Development to rebuild their homes ultimately because Walter has a great heart, his team cares and it shows in their craftmanship!”

Watch the Video: https://vimeo.com/215593520

Hurricane Sandy Rebuilds became one of Oden’s priorities once he saw the desperate conditions New York families were facing as a result of the storm. For Oden, the impact of Hurricane Sandy was personal – he had his own experience of suffering devastation during Miami’s Hurricane Andrew in 1992 – so he dedicated himself to helping these displaced families recover from similar hardships. Oden left his prior role as the Head of the Small Business Administration’s New York office and put his insights around storm strategies and disaster relief to work. With no effort wasted, Oden Development was awarded the GOSR contract to assist families in need of home replacement.

Oden committed to replacing homes on the Poospatuck reservation with manufactured homes as opposed to traditional stick-built homes to expedite the speed to market. The project included taking advantage of the efficiency of manufactured homes while leveraging storm mitigation strategies to ensure survival for future storms. Innovation is not new to Oden’s team; another project in Brooklyn being developed with intermodal shipping containers is indicative of Oden Development’s non-traditional strategies to deliver a product of equal or better quality over traditional methods in less than half the time.

“Manufactured housing makes so much sense, especially here in New York,” says Oden. “Manufactured homes are typically more affordable than site-built homes. Constructing the housing structure off-site provides the inherent and economic advantages of a shorter build time, limited inspections, and energy efficiency. There is hardly any other construction method as versatile, practical, and applicable for any situation and environment.” Oden’s homes are manufactured by Champion Homes of Pennsylvania which also builds commercial structures including multifamily homes, student housing, and hotels.

Oden is certainly not alone in his excitement for manufactured homes. With more Hurricane Sandy homes falling under the umbrella of GOSR’s coverage, families on Long Island and on the Poospatuck Reservation are sure to take comfort and excitement in manufactured homes as well.

 

About Oden Development LLC

Oden Development LLC is a certified manufactured home dealer and developer utilizing the highest construction standards in the industry. From manufactured, manufactured, or intermodal container homes to military barracks, student housing, hospitality structures, and other commercial structures, Oden Development tailors each project to meet a buyer’s needs with great attention to structural details and refined finishes. Oden Development has a uniquely qualified team that can help procure land, design the project, secure financing, and build anyone’s dream living or commercial space. For more details, visit www.odendevelopment.com

 

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