Navajo Nation advocates for weatherization program in Utah

Navajo Nation Council Delegate Curtis Yanito recently met with Utah’s Congressional delegation to advocate for housing weatherization on the Utah Navajo Strip.
According to a release from the Navajo Nation Council Yanito was in Washington D.C. on March 25 to advocate for a $20 million Community Change Grant submitted last November by the Navajo Utah Commission and Stewardship Utah to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The grant aims to support the establishment of a local workforce development program for home weatherization, train new technicians, and weatherize up to 300 households in the seven Navajo Nation chapters represented by the Navajo Utah Commission: Aneth, Dennehotso, Mexican Water, Navajo Mountain, Oljato, Red Mesa, and Teec Nos Pos.
“We are asking Congress to support our grant request,” Delegate Yanito said during his meetings with Utah’s U.S. Senators and House members. “This three-year grant cycle will create job opportunities, provide technical training, and support contracting for businesses. This is a vital need for our communities.”
Residents in the Navajo Utah strip spend nearly nine-percent of household income on energy compared to a national average of three-percent.
A community survey conducted by Stewardship Utah revealed that while residents are eager to weatherize their homes, the primary barriers are cost and a lack of available labor.
Delegate Yanito was joined by representatives from Stewardship Utah, the co-authors of the grant, and met with offices from all six members of Utah’s Congressional delegation, the Western Caucus, and the Navajo Nation’s Washington Office.
Representative Mike Kennedy penned a letter supporting the grant, which was co-signed by Utah’s other congressional representatives urging the EPA to approve the funding.
It highlights the grant’s potential to promote economic empowerment, self-sufficiency, and responsible investment in rural communities, while also being the only known application that directly benefits the Navajo Nation. The grant was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress in August 2022, with $300 million set aside for Native Sovereign Nations. In February 2025, the Navajo Utah Commission passed a formal resolution supporting the initiative, citing its importance for residential energy efficiency upgrades in the Navajo Chapters in Utah. Delegate Yanito and Stewardship Utah shared thanks to the Congressional delegation, who expressed strong support for the grant. The Stewardship Utah members, including T.J. Ellerbeck, Eliza Cowie, and Lenise Peterman, are working alongside other partners like Josh Craft of Utah Clean Energy and Andy Rasmussen of United Today Stronger Tomorrow in Utah.