NHA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CONVENE FOR AUGUST REGULAR MEETING - 08-19-24
FT. DEFIANCE—The Navajo Housing Authority Board of Commissioners convened August 14 for the regular board meeting at the NHA Development and Construction Services Division.
Chairperson Tammy Yazzie, Vice Chairperson David Sloan, and Commissioner Marcus Denetdale were present for the meeting.
The board heard reports from Chief Executive Officer Heather L. Duncan-Etsitty, Chief Administrative Officer Terrilynn Cook, Chief Operations Officer Ernest Franklin Jr., Chief Financial Officer Raymond Nopah, and General Counsel Levon Henry.
CEO Report
After the board completed perfunctory meeting items, Duncan-Etsitty provided the NHA Executive Branch report and covered a multitude of issues, including a new building for the Tohatchi Housing Management Office for submission in the 2026 Indian Housing Plan.
She said the Undisbursed Funds Factor is on target for Sept. 30, 2024. The leadership team closed the expenditure monitoring and was $11.1 million from meeting this goal.
NHA met with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Self-Monitoring Department on the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 and HUD self-monitoring requirements.
In July, NHA closed two audit findings: the HUD 2021 Final Monitoring Report Finding 4 and FY 2022 Single Audit Finding 5.
HUD notified NHA of Finding 4 in a letter dated July 10, 2024.
It stated HUD accepted the determination that NHA did not use Indian Housing Block Grant funds to establish the self-insurance investment fund and subsequently closed this finding.
Finding 5 was the single audit report submission, which was closed in July, according to the FY 2023 single audit review.
On July 2, Cook, Franklin, and Henry joined Duncan-Etsitty for a meeting with President Buu Nygren at the Office of the President and Vice President regarding the 2025 Indian Housing Plan.
After the Resources and Development Committee of the 25th Navajo Nation Council approved the 2025 IHP, the president enacted the plan. NHA submitted the IHP to HUD for final approval.
NHA appreciates the support of tribal leadership for the housing plan.
The proposed grant award for the 2025 IHP is $97,236,399.
The amount of $16,821,691 is allocated for planning and administration, $48,739,691 is allocated operations and maintenance of 1937 Housing Act units, and $31,674,811 is allocated for Needs (NAHASDA operations and maintenance, tenant education, housing assistance, crime prevention, 504 units, infrastructure, model activities, and renovation of abandoned homeownership units).
“Based on these allocation amounts, less than one third of the 2025 proposed housing grant will be used to address NHA’s housing needs,” Franklin said.
Commissioner Denetdale asked, “When will HUD accept the FY 2025 Indian Housing Plan?”
“The 2025 Indian Housing Plan was signed by President Nygren, and it was submitted to HUD for approval,” Duncan-Etsitty said, adding that HUD has 60 days from the time of receipt to sign and approve the plan.
Cook noted that the president supported the annual housing plan and signed the document July 8 for submission to HUD.
“NHA was ahead of schedule and is currently awaiting HUD’s compliance notification for the IHP submission,” she said.
Franklin utilized the 15-housing management office annual inspection reports to develop short and long-range plans to address vacant public rental and home ownership units, common grounds, fencing, streets, drainage, and flooding conditions.
“Submitted proposals were then scored utilizing a selective criteria scoring system to create a prioritization list of all housing related existing conditions,” he said.
Collaborative Agreements
NHA also met with Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority July 18 to discuss terms for a memorandum of agreement between the entities for housing construction. This will be reintroduced at the September BOC meeting.
A second collaborative agreement meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was for negotiation of terms to execute a memorandum of understanding to provide similar housing construction services.
Franklin explained that the MOA and MOU for new construction resources were addressing the shortage of bonded and insured Navajo preference contractors.
“Most of these bonded and insured Navajo preference contractors were already contracted for American Rescue Plan Act projects,” he said.
Customer service, housing needs assessments, and employee recruitment efforts were other initiatives that NHA presented to the board.
The NHA customer service survey is 80 percent complete, and Duncan-Etsitty said the anticipated rollout date for the project is slated for September.
“We are establishing the survey to improve key performance areas for our staff,” she said.
NHA also executed a request for proposals for a housing needs assessment and infrastructure needs assessment for 110 Navajo chapters on the Navajo Nation. The first RFP will contain 10 locations, and NHA will begin solicitations for the RFP in Sept.
Yazzie lauded NHA’s efforts with hosting job fairs to fill job vacancies.
The Human Resources Department filled 30 vacancies from a listing of 90 job openings. Duncan-Etsitty said the recruitment drive is part of changing the culture at NHA for a more productive and healthy work environment.
“We want to be the organization that people want to work for on the Navajo Nation,” she said.
Yazzie agreed and said, “That was helpful, and all of those were advertised, too.”
NHA projects
During the NHA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet during the week of July 22-26, the NHA Development and Construction Division met to discuss projects listed on the 2024 and 2025 IHP.
NHA will re-advertise 29 projects, and 533 housing units are progressing from the architecture and engineering phase to the construction phase.
These projects include:
New construction of homeownership units across the Navajo Nation at various locations for AZ12-404 (8 units), and NM15-404 (12 units), Former Bennett Freeze Area Phase 2 (8 units), and a maintenance warehouse building in Dilcon.
Modernization of 1937 Housing Act units for AZ12-003 in Chinle (110 units), and NM15-006 in Navajo (100 units).
New construction of homeownership units across the Navajo Nation at various locations for AZ12-406/NM15-406 (30 units), and AZ12-407/NM15-407 (10 units).
Infrastructure development for AZ12-176 in Kaibeto (36 units), AZ12-182C for a sewer lagoon in Kaibeto (42 units), a sewer lagoon for Tohajiilee (85 units), and a sewer lagoon for Greasewood Springs (130) units.
Because these construction activities run the spectrum of modernization, new construction, and infrastructure development, Franklin said, “We can only construct one new subdivision per year.”
Consent Agenda
NHA leadership presented five resolutions to the BOC for consideration and the board passed all five unanimously by the board by a vote of 3-0-0.
NHA -5252-2024: Approving the Navajo Housing Authority’s Release of Collateral Assignment of Homesite Lease for Participation in Mutual Help Homeownership Program in Pinon, Arizona, AZ12-184.
NHA-5253-2024: Approving the Disposition of Navajo Housing Authority Property with a Book Value of Five Hundred Seventy-Nine Dollars and Ninety-Seven Cents ($579.97).
NHA-5254-2024: Approving the Recapture and Reallocation of Funds and Related Actions of Previously Funded Projects from the Approved Grant Years 2021; 2023 and 2024 in the Total Amount of $8,460,900; and Reallocating a Total Amount of $8,460,900 to NHA Contingency Account Number 148660.
NHA-5255-2024: Approving the Fiscal Year 2025 Operating and Capital Budget of the Navajo Housing Authority in the Total Amount of Forty-Three Million, Six Hundred Twenty-Three Thousand, Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($43,623,250).
NHA-5256-2024: Amending Resolution NHA-5223-2023 to Extend the Use of Public Rental Unit #24 Located at AZ12-002 for Non-Dwelling Purposed Beginning October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, by the NHA Kayenta Housing Management Office.
Nopah presented the CFO report to the board in executive session.
The next NHA Board of Commissioners meeting will be on Sept. 26, 2024, at the NHA Development and Construction Services Division, beginning at 8 a.m.
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