Village Engagement Updates Shared at Koniag-KANA Roundtable
Members of the Ouzinkie Community spend time reviewing the “Vision for Ouzinkie’s Future” board at a recent KEDC Village Outreach Event.
This summer has been busy for KEDC. Much work has been done in the City of Kodiak to connect with the community on topics such as housing, mariculture, workforce development needs, and other economic themes.
KEDC was invited to share back to village and tribal representatives at the Koniag-KANA Roundtable held on Near Island at the Koniag Conference Room on Tuesday, August 12th. The presentation shared the webpage specifically designed for the event, which provided data about visits to the Kodiak Native villages of Port Lions and Ouzinkie, meetings with Tribal leaders from Tangirnak (Woody Island), and the full-day community conversations kiosk at the KANA Marketplace.
Executive Director Melissa Schoenwether explained that the purpose of these engagements was to better understand housing conditions, community priorities, and local perspectives that shape both challenges and opportunities for housing in Kodiak’s villages. Initial survey results showed most responses came from Kodiak City residents. In-person visits were designed to ensure village voices and perspectives were more fully represented in the Housing Action Plan.
“Over the course of the visits, we shared meals, toured neighborhoods, met with stakeholders, and invited residents to respond to thoughtful questions through conversation, group activities, and surveys,” Schoenwether said.
Common challenges and opportunities were highlighted at the Roundtable, followed by a robust Q&A where participants asked about next steps and KEDC’s availability to continue village visits.
The webpage created for the event can be viewed here: https://kodiakedc.com/koniag-kana-roundtable
