10 families evicted
Residents removed from homes

In the middle of several Navajo Nation Police officers, dozens of people, mostly friends, family and residents, scramble to meet the 5 p.m. deadline to be moved out of their Churchrock Estates homes, Monday afternoon. After several months of litigation and back-and-forth fighting with management, 10 families were evicted. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Diego James Robles

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

CHURCHROCK — About as many police units as the 10 families evicted from their homes rolled into Churchrock Estates subdivision shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, when housing officials showed up with a court-ordered eviction notice and plenty of muscle to carry it out. The eviction came on the heels of a Dec. 16 ruling by the Navajo Nation Supreme Court.

The housing units formerly were managed by Fort Defiance Housing Corp., a non-profit corporation, which declared bankruptcy in 2005 and was reorganized under new management known as Sandstone Housing. The former head of Navajo Housing Authority, Chester Carl, and Nevada businessman William Aubrey were indicted in May for allegedly using the non-profit Fort Defiance as a “pass-through” to receive the federal Housing and Urban Development grant funds.

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