Opinion | Setting the record straight

By Dr. Paul Guy Jr.

Editor’s note: Dr. Paul Guy Jr. is the Chinle Chapter president.

This is a response to Dr. Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch’s opinion piece on CHID-ARPA Housing in the Navajo Times on March 20, 2025, titled, “To our Navajo Nation leaders” in the opinion column to our Navajo Nation leaders.

Dr. Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch’s recent opinion piece regarding the CHID-ARPA housing process in Chinle Chapter contains numerous inaccuracies and misleading claims. While the issue of housing is undeniably important to our community, it is critical that the discussion be based on facts and transparency rather than misinformation. The Chinle Chapter leadership is committed to ensuring fairness in the allocation of federally funded housing, and that commitment has led to a necessary review of the previous administration’s handling of the CHID-ARPA program.

Flawed selection process

Contrary to claims that the process was fair and open, the selection of CHID-ARPA housing applicants was deeply flawed from the outset. Seventeen (17) applicants were preselected before the public application portal even opened, effectively denying many eligible Chinle residents the opportunity to apply. This exclusionary process meant that qualified individuals and families who may have desperately needed housing never had a chance to be considered.

Conflicts of interest

One of the most concerning aspects of the CHID-ARPA housing process under the previous administration of the applications was the direct involvement of former chapter officials and staff in selecting their own immediate family members as housing recipients. Among the preselected applicants were the former chapter manager’s family members, in-laws and ex-wife; the present project coordinator and ARPA coordinator’s son; the administrative assistant’s mother; the mother of the present elected secretary-treasurer was then vice president to former chapter president Rosanna Jumbo-Finch; relatives and friends of then-chapter president Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch.

These clear conflicts of interest compromised the integrity of the process and created an unfair advantage for individuals with personal connections to leadership, at the expense of other deserving community members.

Misalignment with program intent

The CHID-ARPA housing program was designed to assist those most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic including the elderly, homeless, and families living in overcrowded or unsafe conditions. However, the majority of the preselected applicants were young individuals, single individuals who already have homes and working with income who did not meet the highest-need criteria. Only three of the 17 applicants were over the age of 60.

Moreover, the homes in question were large, high-value units costing $300,000 each, consisting of three bedrooms and two bathrooms. This raises concerns about how these housing units were allocated and whether they truly served the most vulnerable members of the Chinle community.

Procedural irregularities

Upon review of the CHID-ARPA housing files, the new Chinle Chapter leadership discovered multiple procedural irregularities that further invalidated the legitimacy of the original selection process: incomplete applications. The applications were missing required documents and did not meet CHID-ARPA’s eligibility criteria. No official award letters. According to CHID Director Patrick Dalgai, no official award letters were ever issued by the CHID office in Window Rock. Despite this, applicants were somehow considered recipients of homes without the proper authorization. Confidentiality claims. The ARPA coordinator refused to disclose critical information about the selection process, citing confidentiality, which further raised concerns about transparency. Conflict of interest in homesite lease approval. The final approval signature on the homesite lease documents, who is employed by the Land Department as Department manager, who was linked to an individual related to some of the applicants, raising additional ethical concerns.

Audit and review process

Given the numerous issues with the original process, the current Chinle Chapter administration made the responsible decision to pause the project and conduct a full review. This review, which is being conducted in collaboration with the CHID office and other relevant agencies, aims to ensure that the selection process is fair, transparent, and free from conflicts of interest. Housing is provided to those who truly meet the CHID-ARPA eligibility criteria. ARPA funds are used appropriately and in compliance with federal guidelines.

Future plans: reopening the application portal

Once the ongoing audit is completed, the Chinle Chapter will reopen the application portal to allow all eligible community members the opportunity to apply for housing. This ensures that every qualified resident has a fair and equal chance to receive assistance, rather than limiting opportunities to a pre-selected group, but also can reapply.

Setting the record straight

Dr. Jumbo-Fitch’s assertion that the current leadership is “taking away homes” from families is not only misleading but false.

The fact remains that no official award letters were ever issued, meaning that no homes were officially granted are awarded to any individuals. The previous selection process was not transparent, nor was it conducted fairly. The current Chinle Chapter leadership is working to correct these injustices and ensure that ARPA funding benefits the entire community, not just a select few.

Commitment to accountability and transparency

As the December 31, 2024, deadline approaches for the obligation of $2.1 billion in U.S. American Rescue Plan Act funds across the Navajo Nation, the Chinle Chapter leadership is committed to ensuring these funds are allocated fairly, legally, and in accordance with federal regulations.

The people of Chinle have a right to transparency, and my administration will not waver in our commitment to providing that. We will continue to demand accountability from those who have mishandled public funds and ensure that every dollar is used for the benefit of our community, not for political interests or personal gain.

I encourage the people of Chinle to stay engaged and demand the answers they deserve. We will continue to fight for the truth, for transparency, and for the integrity of our chapter government operation.

The well-being of Chinle residents, and our constituents is our highest priority, and we will continue to uphold transparency, fairness, and accountability for our chapter government.

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