The Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund (NHAF) is made possible with federal stimulus funds and the Biden Administration. The funds shall be offered to eligible applicants with a demonstrated need to maintain homeownership. The funding shall be deployed over a three-year period ending on September 30, 2026 and with priority to Navajo homeowners most affected by the COVID pandemic.

Per determinations made by the Navajo Nation, the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund is only available to enrolled members of the Navajo Nation residing on fee-simple lands (non-reservation) in Arizona and New Mexico in 2023 and Colorado and Utah by mid-2024. As a contractor for the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund, we are obligated to abide by any all restrictions (residency, income, etc.) associated with the enabling legislation as well as tribal and federal guidelines of the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund. Nevertheless, we will track interest in the program from enrolled members of the Navajo Nation who reside outside of AZ, NM, CO and UT and will report such inquiries to the Office of the President and Vice-President.

Yes, the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund, is made possible due to section 3206 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the ARP). According to the ARP, the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund is one of many similar state programs that shall mitigate financial hardships associated with the coronavirus pandemic to homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020 for qualified homeowner expenses.

Therefore, as part of applying for the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund, homeowners must attest that they experienced financial hardship after January 21, 2020. The attestation must describe the nature of the financial hardship (some examples include job loss, reduction in income, increased household costs due to healthcare expenses or the need to care for a family member). A hardship also includes overcrowding in the home or a situation that may prevent the home from being habitable. A room addition might be justified if there’s overcrowding contributing to the potential transmission of the coronavirus. Other home repairs (not cosmetic) are justified if the home requires any major repairs to keep the home habitable and safe through this continuing coronavirus pandemic.

Financial hardship means a material reduction in income or material increase in living expenses associated with the coronavirus pandemic that has created or increased a risk of mortgage delinquency, mortgage default, foreclosure, loss of utilities or home energy services, or displacement for a homeowner.

The Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund is funded with federal stimulus funds that must be deployed consistent with the time limits established. Any Navajo Homeowner Assistance Funds not deployed by September 30, 2026 must be returned to the US Treasury. President Dr. Buu Nygren has committed to deploy all Navajo Homeowner Assistance Funds to eligible Navajo households prior to the deadline. Because many more enrolled members of the Navajo Nation own homes off the reservation as opposed to on the reservation and because most Navajo members living off reservation are not typically able to access services from the Navajo tribal government, a decision was made to prioritize Navajo households who are homeowners living off the Navajo Nation.

Many more Navajo families live outside of the Navajo Nation than on the tribe’s lands. Navajo families have worked hard to establish homes away from Dinétah to pursue higher education, to secure employment, and other opportunities not yet available on our homelands. Yet, Navajo families have been affected more severely by the COVID pandemic than the general population. As a result, the accomplishment of Navajo homeownership has been affected.

The Office of the President and Vice-President recognize the sacrifices Navajo families have made to provide for their immediate and extended families by establishing homeownership in urban areas and such accomplishments must be preserved.

Can a Manufactured Home Be Real Property? The short answer is yes. The long answer is: it depends. That’s because a manufactured home must comply with certain requirements in order to be considered real property. Since the process of classifying a manufactured home as real property varies by state and local jurisdictions, the local governments have developed specific statutes that set forth the procedures for classifying a manufactured home as real property.

For example, in Maricopa County: An Affidavit of Affixture changes the status of a manufactured/mobile home from personal property to real property. In order to affix a manufactured/mobile home an Affidavit of Affixture must be filed in the county where the manufactured/mobile home is located. Department of Revenue Form 82528.

Treasury HAF Guidance document June 12, 2023 states: “Mortgage means any credit transaction (1) that is secured by a mortgage, deed of trust, or other consensual security interest on a principal residence of a borrower that is (a) a one- to four-unit dwelling, or (b) a residential real property that includes a one- to four-unit dwelling; and (2) the unpaid principal balance of which was, at the time of origination, not more than the conforming loan limit. A reverse mortgage, a loan secured by a manufactured home, or a contract for deed (also known as a land contract) may fall within this definition if it satisfies the criteria in this paragraph, in accordance with applicable state law.”

The simplest way to know for sure if your manufactured home is eligible is that manufactured homes considered personal property are registered with Department of Motor Vehicles and not with the County Tax Assessor who taxes real property. If not registered with the County Tax Assessor, it is not eligible.

Yes, per the federal regulations governing these funds, the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund is an income restricted program. However, where most federally funded programs are restricted to low- and very-low income households, the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund allows medium-income and higher-income Navajo homeowners to receive financial relief.

As an example, a family of four in Maricopa County in Arizona earning as much as $140,250 a year may still be eligible for the tax-free, non-repayable funds to pay their mortgage or repair their homes. The income eligibility calculation will vary depending on the county in which you reside and other factors specific to your household. Speak with one of NCC’s licensed professionals to learn what limits may apply to your household.

This LINK shall be referenced in calculating eligibility.

There are no fees or charges necessary to apply to the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund.

Native Community Capital is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. NCC is a licensed mortgage lender serving American Indian homebuyers. NCC serves as a lender and honest broker to unlock the capital needed to build tribal economies and has been selected by the Navajo Office of the President and Vice-President to manage the Navajo Homeowner Assistance Fund.

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