Navajo Nation begins undergoing necessary Home Improvement
Sub-standard NHA houses receiving needed repairs

John Arviso explains how to activate a smoke detector to Lucille Fastwolf while inspecting her newly costructed home with LP2A inspector Archie Becenti on Thursday in Bread Springs, N.M. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Pamela G. Dempsey
Diné Bureau

Willis Etcitty, of Evans Construction, applies caulk to a crack while finalizing the work on a new NHA home Thursday in Bread Springs. Inspectors visited the new house for a final check and found everything ready for the new owner to move in. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

BREAD SPRINGS — No one had shoes on as they made their way through Lucille Fastwolf's new home.

The mud surrounding her four-bedroom, two-bath house forced the small group of inspectors, contractors, and supervisors to walk in their socks as they took Fastwolf through a final inspection of the home she applied for six years ago through Navajo Housing Authority.

"My water works," Fastwolf exclaimed as one of the inspectors turned on a faucet in the master bathroom.

Randy Nez, of NHA, said this inspection was a follow-up to a preliminary inspection done earlier this week.

"We're ensuring this house is ready for occupancy," Nez said.

Fastwolf's house, or rather, the process in building it, is a far cry from how NHA formerly built homes.

"We've gone in and rearranged the entire process," said Earl Tulley, government and public relations supervisor for NHA. "We've hired a personal trainer, per say, to improve our weaknesses."

More than 160 houses built in 1999, on a "fast-track deadline", contained structural problems.

In a report to the Human Services Committee, NHA said nearly 1,200 "warranty requests" were received in 2004. The housing authority spent more than $340,000 addressing warranty issues last year.

"Structural deficiencies in a home are a serious matter for NHA, especially when families already occupy the home," the housing authority stated in a press release on Thursday. "The expeditious nature of the project coupled with an inadequate construction contractor resulted in structural deficiencies, which NHA addressed."

An independent consultant, Desert Eagle Engineering LLC, hired by NHA in 2002, found many of the homes were constructed below standard. The company estimated the costs of repair for each unit between $10,000 and $30,000 and recommended the homes remain unoccupied until the repairs were complete.

In 2003, Because of the problems, NHA hired Oakland Arviso, a construction company, as a consultant to improve its construction process from start to finish.

Two general contractors are used by the housing authority, one outside contractor and one in-house.

As of October 2004, NHA standardized its own process based on recommendations from Oakland Arviso.

Now, standardized building plans are designed to meet the International Building Code and after the home is complete, an inspection is done every quarter to identify and fix any problems. These inspections are signed by both the homeowner and the inspector so a record is kept.

"We're not relying on word of mouth," Tulley said.

Soil testing is now done and a post-tension concrete slab replaces the wood foundation once used. Expandable neoprene lines, used for water, replace copper tubing.

Tulley said the new processes also give families full disclosure on warranties, amenities, and all costs up-front. While lawsuits from past construction problems are still pending, the new procedures are designed to prevent any further complaints.

"We understood what was happening, we understood the problems," Tulley said. "Now we go back and correct them."

Fastwolf is pleased with her new home and the new process. The single mom of four children is a full-time student who also holds down a full-time job. Her move-in date is in the beginning of February and she has new furniture ready to go.

"They did a wonderful job," Fastwolf said of Evans Southwest, the outside contractor who built her home. "We were here every step of the way."

— To contact reporter Pam Dempsey, call (505) 879-1707 or email pamelagdempsey@msn.com