Navajo Housing Authority Faces Scrutiny Over Title Conveyance and Funding

Window Rock officials spent much of a November 3 Resources and Development Committee meeting probing the Navajo Housing Authority on long running challenges that directly affect homeowners and veterans in McKinley County. Interim Chief Executive Officer Levon Henry and Chief Operating Officer Ernest Franklin presented an update on housing development, title conveyance, contractor agreements, board vacancies, and the administration of ARPA funded mortgage assistance.

Committee Chair Brenda Jesus opened with a call for transparency and accountability, noting the scope of unfinished work on home titles. “With the current work, there is much to be done,” she said. “It’s good to hear you’re addressing master leases. We have individuals who paid off their homes 10 years ago and still haven’t received full title conveyance.” That gap in title transfers keeps homeowners from securing individual homesite leases and complicates property rights for residents across the region.

Officials described structural constraints tied to master leases. Henry explained that homeowners in subdivisions under master leases cannot receive individual homesite leases until all master lease homes in an area are paid off, and that efforts to coordinate with the Navajo Land Department are ongoing. “The homesite office can’t issue leases until the entire area is cleared,” he said. Franklin added that the authority has met with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to resolve overlapping leases, and that a system has been developed to terminate some master leases and renew others for public rentals. “We’ve developed a system to terminate certain master leases and renew others for public rentals. About 50% have been terminated,” he said.

Procurement and contractor oversight drew sharp questions, especially concerning Indigenous Design Studio plus Architects. Committee members called for policy reform to avoid future liability and opaque arrangements. Henry defended the agency’s contracting process as compliant with federal procurement rules. “We make sure the companies we work with are approved by the federal government,” he said. Jesus urged that procurement concerns not be ignored. “We can’t sweep them under the rug,” she said.

Veterans housing and ARPA program administration also figured prominently. Delegate Shawna Ann Claw raised reports that veterans received eviction notices tied to Native Community Capital’s mortgage assistance handling, and asked how much ARPA funding remains. “Veterans have reported that Native Community Capital defaulted on payments, causing eviction notices,” Claw said. “NCC has not reported to Council, but it looks like they still have 70% of their funding remaining from ARPA.” Henry and staff said confusion stemmed from program eligibility rules and low approval numbers, with only eight approvals out of about 400 applicants under the ARPA mortgage assistance process. The Navajo Housing Authority has submitted 71 veteran applications to the Homeowner Assistance Fund, a process the agency estimates would require roughly 15 million dollars in ARPA funds.

Governance concerns remained part of the discussion. Delegate Otto Tso warned that the board’s vacancies limit oversight. “You have a board barely making quorum and making decisions on millions of dollars,” Tso said. Franklin noted the board currently has three members and two vacancies, which are being advertised, and that a 2018 set of professional qualification requirements has made recruitment difficult.

The committee voted unanimously to accept the report, four in favor and none opposed. Jesus closed by urging sustained action and offering committee support. “I hope these concerns don’t go in one ear and out the other,” she said. “It’s been almost three years and we still haven’t seen changes. We’re here if you need our help, but you have to tell us how we can assist you.”

For McKinley County residents, the briefing underscored ongoing risks of delayed title transfers, potential displacement for homeowners and veterans, and the need for clearer oversight of agency contracts and federal relief funds. The developments point to further scrutiny and potential policy changes at the agency and council level in the months ahead.