WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — For many Navajo individuals and families, the path to healing from addiction and trauma has been broken at the most critical moment, the day treatment ends. Without safe, stable housing to return to, relatives who have done the difficult work of recovery too often slip back into the cycles of homelessness, substance use, and family separation that brought them into treatment in the first place.
Breaking that cycle requires more than a treatment bed. It requires a safe place to land afterward. The Navajo Nation is delivering exactly that.
“Housing is healing. For our relatives working hard to rebuild their lives after treatment, a stable home is the foundation that makes everything else possible,” said President Buu Nygren. “This investment in Phoenix means our Urban Relatives are not forgotten. Wherever Navajos live, the Nation stands behind them.”
The Navajo Nation has finalized the $4.9 million purchase of a two-story apartment complex at 825 N. 2nd Avenue in downtown Phoenix, creating dedicated transitional housing for clients who have completed residential treatment. The acquisition was led by the Navajo Department of Health (NDOH) and the Division of Behavioral & Mental Health Services (DBMHS).
The new property closes a critical gap in the Nation’s behavioral health progression. In March 2025, President Buu Nygren cut the ribbon on the Yideeską́ądi Hózhǫ́ǫ́jí Iiná Center (YHC), a 37,000-square-foot residential treatment facility serving 92 adults and their families with culturally grounded, trauma-informed care. Including smudging ceremonies, talking circles, and White Bison-developed programming alongside evidence-based clinical practices. With the Center now in operation, the missing piece has been stable post-treatment housing. The newly acquired apartment complex fills that gap.
“When we opened the Yideeską́ądi Hózhǫ́ǫ́jí Iiná Center, we promised our relatives that healing would not end at the front door,” said President Nygren. “Transitional housing is the next step on that path. An Indiviual who has done the hard work of recovery deserves a safe home, a key in their hand, and the dignity to rebuild their life. Today, the Nation is keeping that promise.”
The fully furnished complex comes turnkey-ready with appliances, furniture, networking, and security systems. Residents will have continued access to wraparound services and shuttle connections to the Center and nearby medical facilities.
NDOH will manage the property and announce intake procedures in the coming weeks.
For more information on the Yideeską́ądi Hózhǫ́ǫ́jí Iiná Center (YHC) visit https://navajo-yhc.com
