Workers from the Warm Springs Housing Authority and the Branch of Public Utilities visited KWSO in the Warm Springs Media Center yesterday to inspect rooftop solar panels installed 16 years ago. The site visit is part of a broader effort to build local expertise as the tribe expands its renewable energy footprint. Joel Holiday, project coordinator for the Housing Authority, explained that the specialized training is vital for maintaining current and upcoming housing projects. “We currently have ten homes that we did solar with, and we are getting trained up to troubleshoot them if something goes wrong,” Holiday said.
The tribe is actively leading the way in community-based solar development, with future installations planned for ten tiny homes, fourteen low-income homes, and the Senior Wellness Center. Joe Schwartz with Seven Skyline Energy Planning is facilitating the program, which focuses on sustainable infrastructure. “We work with tribes across the country on clean energy projects to help build energy sovereignty and create jobs,” Schwartz noted. The training was funded by the California-based non-profit Tribal Energy Alternatives, and the team will return in August for additional sessions sponsored by the Energy Trust of Oregon.
After years of advocacy, supporters of older adults in Oregon are celebrating the creation of the state’s Multi-Sector Plan for Aging (MPA). The MPA serves as a 10-year blueprint that will restructure policies across health, housing, transportation, and community engagement to make the state more age-friendly. Stephanie Hooper with AGE-Plus stated that the plan is about supporting caregivers and ensuring older adults can thrive in their communities. Oregon now joins 14 other states with an MPA, which will be developed over the next year, launched in the fall of 2027, and updated every couple of years.
The White House nominated Mark Cruz as director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) this week, sending the nomination to the U.S. Senate for a four-year term. The role has been vacant within the Department of Health and Human Services since the previous director, Roselyn Tso, resigned in January 2025. Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes from Oregon, has served as tribal senior advisor for Indian health to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. since June 2025. Cruz holds a master’s degree from Brown University and a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University, and his nomination must now be confirmed by the full Senate.
The number of Americans experiencing homelessness declined by 3 percent last year, but Oregon bucked the trend with a sharp increase. Roughly 27,000 people experienced homelessness in Oregon in January 2025, representing a 19 percent surge from the previous year, according to data from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The state saw its largest increase in Multnomah County, which experienced a 43 percent surge. These numbers are expected to be a major focus in this year’s gubernatorial election between Governor Tina Kotek and state Senator Christine Drazan.
