Navajo-Hopi office looks to stretch housing dollars in Freeze area
By Bill Donovan
Special to the Times
WINDOW ROCK, July 9, 2011
To build or renovate, that's the decision facing the Navajo Nation's Navajo-Hopi Land Office.
The office is under pressure from residents of the former Bennett Freeze area as well as by Navajo Nation leaders to improve the quality of life for those who were forced because of the Freeze to live in substandard conditions long after the rest of the Navajo Nation was beginning to get modern amenities like running water and electricity.
The commission currently has an escrow account of about $6.1 million that can be used to build homes, said the department's director, Raymond Maxx. But with the cost of new homes today, that won't go far, he added.
"We're looking for ways to stretch the dollar," he said.
While renovating homes would cost less, however, in the long run it may prove more expensive given the condition of most of the homes in the area.
President Ben Shelly, in his June 18 report to the Western Navajo Agency Council, said one way the tribe may be able to do more with less dollars is to work with groups like Corner Stone Ministry.
The ministry, a nonprofit humanitarian organization from Smith Lake, N.M., wants to use volunteers, augmented by professional builders, to help Navajo families in the Bennett Freeze area to renovate or build new homes.
Maxx said the program has the advantage of building homes cheaply.
"They say they can build a home worth $130,000 for only $30,000," he said.
A similar organization approached the land dispute office several years ago and offered to build new homes. Funding was provided and about 10 homes were built, which are being occupied today by Navajo families.
But there were problems when the homes were completed, Maxx said, and some building code violations were found.
Still, overall the approach did result in new homes for fewer dollars than the standard for-profit contracts. Using volunteer labor just means the tribe has to be more vigilant in making sure building codes are met.
But there's another problem - tribal politics. The chapters that comprise the Bennett Freeze area want to take charge of the money in the escrow account, a change that Maxx said his agency is reluctant to make for fear the money will be used and there will be nothing to show for it.
Still, the Navajo-Hopi Land Office is willing to discuss it and Maxx, a former Council delegate representing Tuba City, said he is meeting today, July 7,with chapter officials in Tuba City.
The bottom line, he said, is that his office wants to see the new construction begin in the area as soon as possible.
"We had been hoping to see something going on by April or May," he said, adding that it's still possible housing improvement could start this summer.