Crossing Worlds Hopi Projects

Hopi Home Repair-Remodel Projects

Hopi Home Repair-Remodel Projects

Hopi Home Repair-Remodel Projects

Home for Hopi people is rich in meaning and function within the Hopi annual cycle. Hopis are known for their ancestral multi-story plastered stone homes on mesa tops in northeastern Arizona.

Today, with growing population and changing building styles, many Hopi families face overcrowding, have substandard housing, indoor air quality challenges with the coal heaters, inadequate plumbing, insect infestations, poorly weatherized/drafty, and much higher than average housing disrepair.

Many of the Hopi Housing Project homes are decades old and in need of major repairs to roofs, plumbing and electrical. Cash for supplies and skilled help is often hard to find in this remote area with few job opportunities. Traditional stone homes collapse once the roof goes into disrepair. Some villages do not have sewer and water and alternative water set ups are needed.

We are working with Hopi skilled builder/repairmen and homeowner volunteer labor (and training in home maintenance) to address problems as we have funds available.

Please see our article Hopi Homes: Historical and Today for more information.


Old wall and door. Photo by Jackie Klieger

Home Health, Safety, Overcrowding and Maintenance Projects

Many Hopi families lack the cash and/or skills to do badly needed repairs and additions or install needed sanitation facilities and thus many live in substandard conditions.


We welcome donations to help us support more families to help improve hygiene and living conditions.

We also welcome skilled people who have time to go up with their tools and pitch in.


New 2017-2018 Projects:

1. Addition to One-Room Hopi Home to make bedrooms & bathroom for 11 people

We appreciate your donations to provide labor and part of the materials for a traditional 3-generation family at 2nd Mesa living in a one-room home with no bathroom.  The 7 young children and 4 adults have put up the walls and raised money for the roof.  We are supporting them with contracting with a builder to install the roof with the help of the family.  We are helping them fund the materials and builder to install the bathroom and room partitions.

2. Elder couple vintage home needs of roof, concrete floor and structural repair.

3rd Mesa old home badly in need of repairs so elderly couple can continue to have a home.

 


photo of village plaza area taken in 1900

photo of village plaza area taken in 1900

Past Projects

Hopi Clifftop Plaza Home Rebuild Project 2016

We are in the final stages of assisting a Second Mesa Hopi family to finish a room which will allow installation of a fresh and grey water system (tanks adjacent to home filled and emptied by hand), shower and kitchen to their one-room home on top of Second Mesa that has no running water or shower. The village has no sewer or water.

This home is part of the traditional ceremonial cycle of the village.

Hopi major home, roof, electrical and plumbing repair project, 2015

We completed Hopi Home Repair-Remodel project at 1st Mesa in 2015 thanks to a $7,700 grant from a generous donor who empathizes with roof problems. We are really maximizing this budget with thrifty shopping, hard work by the Hopi contractor and participation of homeowners.

Hopi repairmen and the Hopi homeowner’s family (provided sweat equity and learned new skills) repaired an aging Hopi housing project cinder block home with a wide array of problems from leaking roof to major deficiencies in the plumbing, wiring, rotted front door, and badly worn out, barely functioning, kitchen and bathroom.