WASHINGTON, D.C. – Navajo Nation Council Delegate Curtis Yanito met with Utah’s Congressional delegation 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.
Residents in this area face some of the highest energy costs in the country, with nearly nine percent of their household income spent on energy, compared to the 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.
“We are asking Congress to support our grant request,” said Delegate Yanito during his meetings with Utah 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.”
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. In attendance were Senators Mike Lee and John R. Curtis, and Representatives Blake Moore, Celeste Maloy, Burgess Owens, and Mike Kennedy.
Delegate Yanito, alongside Stewardship Utah, has been working with Rep. Mike Kennedy, who represents Utah’s portion of the Navajo Nation, to send a letter of support for the grant. The letter, co-signed by Utah’s Senators and House members, urges U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin 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.