DOWAGIAC, MI--(Marketwired - Aug 26, 2015) - The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians announced today that it broke ground on Pokégnek Édawat Hartford, its new Tribal Village located on Red Arrow Highway approximately one mile east of Four Winds Hartford^® in Hartford, Mich. The first phase is expected to be completed in spring 2016 and will include eight homes consisting of townhomes and two duplexes. Two additional phases are planned at Pokégnek Édawat Hartford which will include more homes, a community center, and a park. Half of the homes will be designated for Tribal Elders.

"Pokégnek Édawat Hartford is the latest milestone in our mission to assist Elders, youth, and families with housing, community and self-sufficiency for a better quality of life," said John P. Warren, Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. "We have 39 families on the waiting list for homes in Hartford, so the demand is high. We look forward to completing the additional phases to serve our families in need."

Some of units will feature handicap accessible designs that include roll in shower units, lowered counters, sinks, and cook tops. They also feature under-the-counter microwaves, four foot wide doorways, more electrical outlets in the master suite for charging medical equipment, and larger garages for special vehicles. 

The homes in Pokégnek Édawat Hartford are managed by the Pokagon Housing and Facilities Department. It offers Pokagon Citizens assistance with home ownership, loans, lease-to-own opportunities, and rental and homeless prevention programs. 

The Pokagon Band also has 66 homes, a community center, and health center in Pokégnek Édawat Dowagiac. Both Tribal Villages are examples of what a potential Pokagon development in South Bend, Ind. could look like.

About The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians' sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994. The Pokagon Band is dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care and cultural preservation for its approximately 5,000 Citizens. The Pokagon Band's ten county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana. Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, Mich., with a satellite office in South Bend, Ind. In 2007, it opened Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich., followed by Four Winds Hartford^® in 2011 and Four Winds Dowagiac^® in 2013. More information is available at www.pokagonband-nsn.gov.