CHOCTAW, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed)- The Choctaw Housing Authority held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, for new housing units to be built in the Crystal Ridge Community.
Cyrus Ben attended the ceremony along with 2025-2026 Choctaw Indian Princess Lexi Camille Rodriguez and Tribal Council representatives Christopher Eaves (Crystal Ridge) , Kendall Wallace (Bogue Chitto), Kent Wesley (Pearl River), Timothy Thomas Sr. (Conehatta), Sam John (Red Water) and Demando Mingo (Tucker). Also in attendance were MBCI Director of Administration Jason Grisham, Choctaw Housing Authority Executive Director Gary Ben, CHA officials and project partners, including MBCI Construction Management and Willis Engineering.
Director Ben opened the ceremony with welcoming remarks, followed by a prayer from Councilman Wallace and remarks from Councilman Eaves and Chief Ben. Officials then broke ground to commemorate the project.
Three housing units are currently under construction. Once complete, the project will include four homes — two two-bedroom, two-bath houses and two three-bedroom, two-bath houses — all handicap adaptable.
Site work plans are being prepared by Willis Engineering. Site work for three houses has been completed by IKBI, while the fourth house is out for bid. The projected completion date for the IKBI-awarded homes is June 2026.
Tribal leaders and housing officials said the project reflects ongoing efforts to provide quality housing for members of the Crystal Ridge Community.