Everyone knows that becoming a homeowner in Indian Country can be challenging. Several news stories in the past several months have pointed this out. Results from a survey this year, conducted by Great Plains Native Asset Building Coalition, revealed that obstacles to homeownership in Native communities in South Dakota include, but are not limited to:

■ Homebuyer readiness of clients (70 percent).

■ Infrastructure delays (66.7 percent).

■ Lack of local lenders (60 percent); lack of housing inventory (60 percent).

On June 27, a diverse group of key stakeholders came together to find solutions by exploring the creation of a statewide coalition to promote Native homeownership in South Dakota.