The Pueblo of Zia is located 35 miles northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico and is situated in the steep mountain slopes and canyons of the Sierra Nacimiento Mountains. The population figures for 2007 were 834 residents living in more than 300 housing units. The Pueblo Housing Services Department manages 32 housing units and a very large portion of the balance of the housing is substandard. The staff, which consists of an executive director and assistant, has had no experience administering an owner-occupied rehabilitation program. 

RCAC staff helped write a funding application and provided the administrative framework for managing a HOME Rehab Program. The Pueblo was successful in obtaining an Eligible Partner Status by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (NMMFA), the HOME manager for NM, and awarded funds to complete one unit for an elderly resident. This is the standard process developed by RCAC and NMMFA to begin housing rehabilitation programs.

When the first home was complete, many Pueblo residents toured the home and were excited at the opportunity to receive this type of assistance. The housing staff’s goal for 2011 is to obtain additional HOME funds, hire part-time staff and expand the services to improve the quality, safety and energy performance of the existing housing supply. 
Training on the HOME owner-occupied rehabilitation program has been so successful that it has been requested by other Pueblos in New Mexico. The owner-occupied rehabilitation program training has been provided to two additional Pueblos (Santa Clara and Acoma) and the requests continue to grow. Approximately $270,000 has been awarded to the Pueblos with RCAC’s assistance.