This report is part of a series of reports to help decision makers plan for the future of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (ONHIR). ONHIR was established by the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-531) as an independent Federal agency responsible for assisting with the relocation of Navajo people and Hopi people living within each other’s boundaries.
ONHIR established a series of beginning-to-end relocation benefits to aid eligible recipients through the relocation process (such as assistance with site selection, construction and related inspections, and a home warranty). A disagreement exists between the Navajo Nation and the Federal Government regarding whether the relocation benefits include providing infrastructure and community services.
Relocations for all but one Hopi individual certified as eligible were completed in 2013 (that case was administratively closed in 2004). The status of all remaining Navajo individuals who have been certified as eligible and could still qualify for relocation benefits includes:
• 1 contract in process
• 1 homesite selection in process
• 3 eligible applicants who have not yet signed a contract or begun seeking a homesite
• 85 applicants certified eligible but whose cases have been closed administratively and relocations have not been completed
In this report we provide further detail on ONHIR’s administration of relocation benefits and summarize what we found regarding the status of home warranties, the condition of relocation case files, and the condition of relocation homes.
If ONHIR closes, legislation may be needed to identify a successor agency to provide any remaining eligible applicants with relocation benefits, determine whether any changes are needed to the relocation benefits that can be given to eligible applicants, and determine whether to provide funding to address infrastructure needs for relocatees as requested by the Navajo Nation.