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Navajo Nation In Violation Of HUD Grants

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD for short, says the Navajo Nation has failed to spend nearly $150-million in housing grant money for fiscal year 2012. Since 2000, the Navajo Nation have almost consistently failed to spend HUD grant money.

In a letter of warning to the Navajo Housing Authority, HUD gave notice that the tribe was in violation of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act.

The violation? Failure to spend grant money awarded to Navajo Housing for crime prevention and safety, tenant-based rental assistance, and rehabilitation of old unit to name a few.

The total grant for those programs in 2012: about $215-million. The money actually spent on those programs over that period: about $66-million.

Since 2000, HUD estimates that the Navajo Housing Authority has been sitting on nearly $434-million in unspent housing funds.

Repeated calls to the Navajo Nation for comment on the unspent funds were not returned.