Navajo Nation to tackle housing crisis and energy development plans

NAVAJO NATION – The Navajo Nation is taking significant steps towards addressing its housing crisis and energy development plans.

The President’s Office held a strategic planning meeting March 6 to coordinate a new initiative to build 1,000 new homes across the Navajo Nation. The initiative will involve partnerships between government and private entities and will prioritize increased home ownership, rental units, home improvement programs and overall housing education. The group reported more than 1,400 applications from housing-related programs and enterprises. Additionally, the President’s office is planning a housing summit in Window Rock in May to involve members of the public.

Meanwhile, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren signed his second executive order March 12 to streamline the process for energy companies to submit proposals to do business with and on the Navajo Nation. The order creates an Initial Vetting Team to screen energy proposals and ensure they are viable and in the Navajo Nation’s or host communities’ best interest.

Nygren emphasized that the Navajo Nation has always been an energy Nation and the order aims to weed out proposals that are not in the Navajo Nation’s or host communities’ best interest.

Proposals for electricity-generating, fossil fuels or biomass, renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal or hydroelectric and projects that propose utilizing a portion of the 500 megawatts of transmission capacity from the Navajo Generating Station power lines are all encouraged.

Companies can visit the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources website at dnr.navajo-nsn.gov for instructions on how to submit a vetting form.