Under new pact, NECA tackles leaks while NHA readies demolition, street work

Posted by Rick Abasta | Sep 20, 2025 | News |

By Rick Abasta
Navajo Housing Authority

TÓ HAJIILEEHÉ, N.M.

The memorandum of agreement between the Navajo Housing Authority and the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority is yielding steady improvements for families across the Navajo Nation.

Most recently, NECA rehabilitated a leaking sewer lagoon in Tó Hajiileehé.

“We spent a couple of days out there and completed the project,” said Ray Smith, NECA’s deputy general manager.

He said NHA inspected and approved the work, which also included installing fencing around the lagoon.

Ernest Franklin Jr., NHA’s chief operating officer, praised the first-of-its-kind agreement between two Navajo enterprises. “The work has been going well. The next project will be demolition of existing homes and burnouts. We’re setting up the accounts right now.”

He said the demolition effort will be followed by a streets project, with accounts being set up so NECA can begin that work as well.

Smith said the Tó Hajiileehé project focused on rebuilding the retainer wall and sealing leak points. “There were a couple of areas where the leakage was running into a small wash, but that has been taken care of,” he said. “We ensured that it doesn’t spill out into the public right-of-way.”

He added that the MOA is mutually beneficial and a model of two Navajo entities working together. NECA has partnered with Indian Health Service through a similar MOA for about 50 years, but this is the first time it has teamed with another Navajo enterprise.

“The importance of this agreement is that we’re doing this for the Navajo people. It’s for the people who need housing or improvements. Both enterprises are helping each other, working together, and communicating together to make those improvements,” Smith said.

While most MOA work is horizontal construction, NECA hopes to assist NHA with vertical construction as well. The enterprise launched a vertical division two years ago through CARES Act projects.

“That effort has not carried over into ARPA projects,” Smith said, noting that NECA is currently handling vertical projects for the Navajo Nation through the Division of Community Development.

Franklin said the partnership is gaining momentum as each job finishes and he expects the new projects in the pipeline to be completed before year’s end.

“We want to continue moving forward with NECA for our Navajo families,” he said.

“We would really like to start moving on projects with NHA, it’s something that we’re excited about,” Smith said. “When these ARPA projects end in 2026 going into 2027, we would really like to pick up vertical projects with NHA.”

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