Officials scrambling for aid to evicted families

The 10 Church Rock, N.M., families evicted from their homes on Dec. 28 are seeking an extension of Tuesday's deadline for the Navajo Nation Supreme Court to reconsider its Dec. 17 decision, which left them homeless.

On Jan. 5, five representatives of the families filed for the extension, saying they need more time to get legal representation and find money to pay a lawyer.

"We need an attorney but we have no money to pay an attorney," said Shirlene Rogers, one of the evictees.

Rogers said the families are hoping an attorney will donate his or her services.

Rogers and her four neighbors met Tuesday with New Mexico state legislators Sandra Jeff and Joe Campos, and Church Rock Chapter Secretary/Treasurer Louise Jim in Window Rock, in Vice President Ben Shelly's office.

Jeff, a Crownpoint Democrat whose district includes Church Rock, and Campos said that they have contacted U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan and he has agreed to work with them on getting the families back into their homes or into other housing.

Campos, a Democrat from Santa Rosa who is running for lieutenant governor, said he is working with New Mexico's Mortgage Finance Authority to help the families.

The MFA is a quasi-public entity that provides financing for housing and other related services to low- to moderate-income New Mexicans.

"In this day and age, to have this action taken is truly a shame," Campos said. "It's not a good reflection on the government to have people kicked out of their homes."

He added that he was very thankful Shelly met with the families at the Church Rock Chapter on Monday. Asked if President Joe Shirley Jr. would be helping the families, Shirley spokesman George Hardeen said the president had not been asked for help and does not usually get involved in matters that have been litigated.

Church Rock Chapter officials began helping the families the day they were evicted on Dec. 28 in a rent dispute with Sandstone Housing, which manages the Church Rock subdivision under a contract with the Navajo Housing Authority. The Navajo Nation Supreme Court upheld Sandstone's right to evict them in a Dec. 17 ruling.

Jim said Tuesday that the chapter used emergency funds to place the families temporarily at the Sleep Inn in Gallup.

She said that donations of $1,940 from St. Bonaventure Mission in Thoreau, N.M., and $1,000 from Lake Valley Chapter had also come in, allowing the families to continue staying at Sleep Inn.

On Tuesday, Jeff and Campos each donated $500 from their personal funds to help the families with hotel costs and food.

Jim reported that the families have not had a hot, home-cooked meal since Dec. 28.

Rogers said the families appreciate all the assistance they've been receiving but that it's hard for the children to stay in a hotel room, especially because they have to be quiet at all times.

The Sleep Inn has provided rollaway beds, enabling up to seven family members to squeeze into a single room.

Jeff said the she and Campos have contacted Gov. Bill Richardson and Gallup Mayor Harry Mendoza, who also are looking at ways to assist the families.

"This is a wake-up call for everyone to become very proactive about the eviction of families, especially children, from their homes," Jeff added. "We're trying to fix something that's not right. This is devastating to the families."

Shelly met with tribe's emergency management coordinator, Johnny Johnson, to identify short-term government assistance for the families.

The Navajo Nation's Division of Social Services also met with Church Rock Chapter officials and the New Mexico Human Services Department to see about housing vouchers.

"It's a triangular effort," said Shelly, referring to the efforts of Jeff, Campos, Lujan, local chapter governments and his office.

He added, "When it comes to families we will be diligent in finding homes, mediating, intervening with assistance, and bringing government departments together."

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