The Navajo Nation

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2020

Additional Hardship Assistance Program application forms available Thursday and Friday, online application will be available on Nov. 2^nd

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – On Wednesday, the Navajo Nation Office of the Controller reported that a second-round of 48,000 paper applications for the CARES Act Hardship Assistance Program are being delivered to the eight regional Administrative Service Center locations, to coordinate delivery to the 110 chapters to allow elders 65-years and older and those with special needs to apply for the hardship funds. The online application will be available on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020 at www.navajo-nsn.gov, and on the Office of the Controller’s website, www.nnooc.org, according to the Office of the Controller.

A third distribution of paper applications will be delivered on Thursday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 30 with 152,000 copies distributed directly to chapters, divisions, and other collection points in advance of the official launch of the application period on Nov. 2.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Lizer also directed Division Directors to assist with the hardship application outreach efforts and to provide technical assistance to help elderly people and special needs individuals to apply. On Thursday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, the Nez-Lizer Administration will have staff members, including fluent Navajo speakers, available to provide application forms and technical assistance. Please visit https://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19/Hardship to view the locations and contact information. Applicants will be able to submit completed applications on-site.

“The Office of the President and Vice President, working in collaboration with the Controller’s Office, will be assisting with application outreach efforts to help ensure that our Navajo elders and special needs citizens are provided the opportunity to ask questions and apply for the hardship assistance. With any initiative of this magnitude, there will be issues that arise, but we have to continue working together and moving forward to help our people. We ask everyone to be respectful of the Office of the Controller as they work hard to help our Navajo people,” said President Nez.

The Office of the Controller recommends that everyone who is able to apply online do so beginning Monday, Nov. 2, as opposed to using a paper application. The program is not first come first serve and every application will be provided equal consideration.

Anyone interested in applying is encouraged to learn more about the program on the Office of the Controller’s website, which also includes a Frequently Asked Questions and Answers page: http://www.nnooc.org/Documents/CARES%20Act/201020_OOC_FAQ_NN%20Hardship_Assistance_Program.pdf.

“This is a challenging task and we are working hard to help as many people as possible. Please be patient as chapters and staff members work to help our people with completing the application form. If you do plan to visit your chapter or any of the locations, please be safe and adhere to CDC guidelines at all times to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Vice President Lizer stated.

All Navajo Nation residents and officials are advised to follow CDC guidelines when visiting chapters and interacting with chapter officials and staff members, to reduce any potential risks associated with COVID-19. Wear a mask in public at all times, practice social distancing, wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer frequently, and avoid gatherings of five or more people.

Navajo Nation Chapters that have questions relative to the Hardship Assistance Program, email nncareshelp@nnooc.org and do not contact the Navajo Division of Community Development. For more information about the Hardship Assistance Program or the Chapter Distribution Program, visit www.nnooc.org/CARESHelp.html.