Mold creeps into NHA homes
Some residents being relocated

Mold grows on the walls of a bedroom inside a home that is part of the NHA Greasewod Development in Greasewood, Ariz. Residents of the development are being temporarily relocated while the NHA works to make the homes suitable for living in. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Pamela G. Dempsey
Diné Bureau

GREASEWOOD SPRINGS — Mold growth in the middle of the desert may seem unlikely, but that's exactly what Amy Begay and more than 25 other homeowners in Greasewood have to deal with.

"I'm really worried about my grandson (and his health); he's 5" Begay said as she pointed to the dark spots growing in the corner of her closet, cracks around the windowsills, and a puddle of water on the floor.

Begay and her neighbors in Navajo Housing Authority's Greasewood Development are preparing to move or have moved from their homes until the housing authority can repair the condensation and mold that has taken over a majority of the five-year old houses.

Some homes are worse than others, with mold spores growing from the shower head and taking over large portions of bedroom walls.

Begay said she and her daughter, Telena, kept cleaning the mold until, she said, they noticed the condensation.

Because of the recent rain and snow showers, Begay said she often wakes up to find water surrounding her bed.

"We've already lost one bed to the mold," she said. "It was a good bed."

Sub-divisions in Chinle, Whippoorwill Spring, and Round Rock developed the same condensation problem and as other unrelated problems appeared in housing projects elsewhere, Navajo Housing Authority took action.

The housing authority contracted with Arviso/Okland to reorganize its construction operations to prevent future problems. What the consultant company found, however, was that it had to repair the current problems as well.

To address the mold situation, Arviso/Okland hired a certified mold remediation company based in Phoenix to "completely remove any trace of mold," said Jelina Petzinger, one of the consultants.

The company, Petzinger said, will cut out parts of the affected drywall and remove the plastic that lines the insulation inside the homes. Navajo Housing Authority will put the houses back together.

The push for energy efficient homes in the 1990's is to blame for the problem, she said.

"Energy efficiency was a big push ... making the home the most energy efficient as possible," Petzinger said.

But condensation forms if the house was "too tight", she said, and subsequently, mold growth.

"Any home that did not have a wood stove (has the problem)," Petzinger said. "The stove allows air to escape."

Petzinger said the turnaround time for the renovation projects takes between four to six weeks. Homes in Whippoorwill Spring and Round Rock are near completion and Chinle isn't too far behind. The renovation in Greasewood is now getting underway.

Navajo Housing Authority has relocated several homeowners to its own public housing rentals while repairs are conducted. Homeowners do not have to pay rent or utilities costs while in these temporary digs, but will continue to pay for their mortgages.

Earl Tulley, public relations officer for Navajo Housing Authority, said the organization wants to keep its customers safe during construction and therefore asked them to relocate. Customers, he said, will not assume any cost of reconstruction.

The concern of some homeowners now is the relocation.

Begay said she worried about the availability of a temporary home, how relocation will affect her grandson, and if the renovations will cure the problem.

"I'm fed up with it," her daughter said. "My mom's having doubts on if she should buy her home."

To prevent these problems from recurring, Petzinger said Arviso/Okland has now set building standards where there were none before.

In the past, architects and engineers did not have to follow any codes, such as the International Residential Code, on the Navajo Nation.

By creating a master plan and design that follow this code and by building a "worse case scenario" foundation for future Navajo Housing Authority homes, Arviso/Okland said the future of the organization will be different.

Residents of the Greasewood Development will hold a meeting tonight at the Greasewood Chapter House at 6 p.m.

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