PAGE, Ariz. — Jobs and another option for homes is available to Navajos and Hopis thanks to ZenniHome, which has resurrected the area by the shuttered Navajo Generating Station by Page, Arizona.
The generating station permanently shut down in November 2019.
This modular home factory was planned for China, but during COVID-19, the interruptions in shipping caused the prices for shipping to jump from $4,000 to $20,000 per unit. China’s loss is Navajo’s gain.
Bob Worsley, owner of ZenniHome, calls the homes micro-homes, which are between regular size homes and tiny homes. The homes range in size from 320 or 640 square feet and the price for the houses is about $75,000 to $100,000. The price does not include set up or land, but still makes housing a lot more affordable than homes in cities with starting prices of $400,000.
ZenniHome is licensed in Arizona and Utah with plans for expansion to California and other states.
The main room in the homes is a living room/office that transforms into a bedroom with robotic furniture that comes down from the ceiling.
The 640-square-foot home has two bedrooms, a dining room, a bathroom and a kitchen. Solar can be put on the homes and they can either be on or off the grid. The roof has a water harvester so water from humidity will be saved. Worsley said this feature will not eliminate the need to haul water for those living on the reservation, but it could be used for bottled water.
Worsley said Navajos and Hopis can purchase the homes and ZenniHome is working on finding financing solutions because Native Americans often have trouble obtaining mortgages, since they don’t own the land.
“We’re trying to set up mortgages through the USDA (US Department of Agriculture),” Worsley said. “We’re working with a customer in Ganado to see if we can solve this problem.”
Worsley said they are hiring almost exclusively Navajos in Page, who lost their jobs when the Navajo Generating Station closed and said they would love to see Hopi’s apply, too. Worsley said none of the jobs pay less than $15 an hour and several pay $25 per hour.
“People are happy to stay in the area,” he said.
Worsley, a former Arizona State senator, hopes to work with the Navajo Housing Authority and Hopi Housing Authority to see how they could get more homes set-up on the reservations. He has talked with Navajo leadership, but not with Hopi leadership.
“I’m hoping to meet with them,” Worsley said. “We have plenty of orders from elsewhere, but we don’t want to ignore the needs on the reservations. We want Navajo and Hopi to like what we’re doing and work with them.”
Worsley said they obtained the keys to the property Dec. 9 to the 65,000 square foot warehouse and soon after the utilities were connected, which is just one of the buildings on the former NGS site. The building is on 35 acres, but could expand to 1 million square feet as the business expands.
ZenniHomes expects to have full scale production in a couple months. They have started on two models. They have an order for 90 models that will be placed on Main Street in Mesa that must be completed by September.
ZenniHome has 20 employees so far but expects to have 180 employees by the end of the year. NGS had 750 employees.
“Our wages are competitive for the area and we have no trouble attracting people,” Worsley said.
ZenniHome plans on producing 250 units this year with about 1,500, or five a day, next year. Many of the homes are expected to go to the metropolitan areas of Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
Worsley said after the home is ordered, the buyer can hire their own contractor for the setup or ZenniHomes can connect them with a contractor. The price for moving and setting up the new manufactured homes depends on where the homes is located, but the price will usually run $20,000 or less. He said a crane operator will have to put in nine concrete piers.
“It could be less if you have a family member or somebody else set it up. We would give all the steps to the contractor,” he said.
Worsley said the ZenniHome project is important because it’s green, sustainable, high tech and allows people to live in a modern, but smaller transformative living. He said since the 1950s, homes have grown larger and that’s not good for the environment as it causes the need for more energy.
“It’s important to make the world sustainable and green. That’s why we called it Zen. We want more people to live with Zen or more peace,” he said. “This way they can have less land and more joy.”
ZenniHome is part of Arizona Thrives Alliance, which is a statewide initiative to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.
Worsley said the closing of NGS was a travesty for the tribes and for the people in the area at Page and Lake Powell.
“We’re hoping to be a bright light for the area. We hope to work with the Navajo and Hopi Nations. They seem welcoming and we hope that grows into a synergistic relationship,” he said.
PAGE, Ariz. — Jobs and another option for homes is available to Navajos and Hopis thanks to ZenniHome, which has resurrected the area by the shuttered Navajo Generating Station by Page, Arizona.
The generating station permanently shut down in November 2019.
This modular home factory was planned for China, but during COVID-19, the interruptions in shipping caused the prices for shipping to jump from $4,000 to $20,000 per unit. China’s loss is Navajo’s gain.
Bob Worsley, owner of ZenniHome, calls the homes micro-homes, which are between regular size homes and tiny homes. The homes range in size from 320 or 640 square feet and the price for the houses is about $75,000 to $100,000. The price does not include set up or land, but still makes housing a lot more affordable than homes in cities with starting prices of $400,000.
ZenniHome is licensed in Arizona and Utah with plans for expansion to California and other states.
The main room in the homes is a living room/office that transforms into a bedroom with robotic furniture that comes down from the ceiling.
The 640-square-foot home has two bedrooms, a dining room, a bathroom and a kitchen. Solar can be put on the homes and they can either be on or off the grid. The roof has a water harvester so water from humidity will be saved. Worsley said this feature will not eliminate the need to haul water for those living on the reservation, but it could be used for bottled water.
Worsley said Navajos and Hopis can purchase the homes and ZenniHome is working on finding financing solutions because Native Americans often have trouble obtaining mortgages, since they don’t own the land.
“We’re trying to set up mortgages through the USDA (US Department of Agriculture),” Worsley said. “We’re working with a customer in Ganado to see if we can solve this problem.”
Worsley said they are hiring almost exclusively Navajos in Page, who lost their jobs when the Navajo Generating Station closed and said they would love to see Hopi’s apply, too. Worsley said none of the jobs pay less than $15 an hour and several pay $25 per hour.
“People are happy to stay in the area,” he said.
Worsley, a former Arizona State senator, hopes to work with the Navajo Housing Authority and Hopi Housing Authority to see how they could get more homes set-up on the reservations. He has talked with Navajo leadership, but not with Hopi leadership.
“I’m hoping to meet with them,” Worsley said. “We have plenty of orders from elsewhere, but we don’t want to ignore the needs on the reservations. We want Navajo and Hopi to like what we’re doing and work with them.”
Worsley said they obtained the keys to the property Dec. 9 to the 65,000 square foot warehouse and soon after the utilities were connected, which is just one of the buildings on the former NGS site. The building is on 35 acres, but could expand to 1 million square feet as the business expands.
ZenniHomes expects to have full scale production in a couple months. They have started on two models. They have an order for 90 models that will be placed on Main Street in Mesa that must be completed by September.
ZenniHome has 20 employees so far but expects to have 180 employees by the end of the year. NGS had 750 employees.
“Our wages are competitive for the area and we have no trouble attracting people,” Worsley said.
ZenniHome plans on producing 250 units this year with about 1,500, or five a day, next year. Many of the homes are expected to go to the metropolitan areas of Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
Worsley said after the home is ordered, the buyer can hire their own contractor for the setup or ZenniHomes can connect them with a contractor. The price for moving and setting up the new manufactured homes depends on where the homes is located, but the price will usually run $20,000 or less. He said a crane operator will have to put in nine concrete piers.
“It could be less if you have a family member or somebody else set it up. We would give all the steps to the contractor,” he said.
Worsley said the ZenniHome project is important because it’s green, sustainable, high tech and allows people to live in a modern, but smaller transformative living. He said since the 1950s, homes have grown larger and that’s not good for the environment as it causes the need for more energy.
“It’s important to make the world sustainable and green. That’s why we called it Zen. We want more people to live with Zen or more peace,” he said. “This way they can have less land and more joy.”
ZenniHome is part of Arizona Thrives Alliance, which is a statewide initiative to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.
Worsley said the closing of NGS was a travesty for the tribes and for the people in the area at Page and Lake Powell.
“We’re hoping to be a bright light for the area. We hope to work with the Navajo and Hopi Nations. They seem welcoming and we hope that grows into a synergistic relationship,” he said.