On December 27, 2024 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report: Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates. Following are the key findings of the report:
NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
“The number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024 was the highest ever recorded. A total of 771,480 people, or about 23 of every 10,000 people in the United States, experienced homelessness in an emergency shelter, safe haven, transitional housing program, or in unsheltered locations across the country.”
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
“Several factors likely contributed to this historically high number. Our worsening national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households, and the persisting effects of systemic racism have stretched homelessness services systems to their limits. Additional public health crises, natural disasters that displaced people from their homes, rising numbers of people immigrating to the U.S., and the end to homelessness prevention programs put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the end of the expanded child tax credit, have exacerbated this already stressed system.”
RECORD LEVELS IN ALL POPULATIONS
“Nearly all populations reached record levels. Homelessness among people in families with children, individuals, individuals with chronic patterns of homelessness, people staying in unsheltered locations, people staying in sheltered locations, and unaccompanied youth all reached the highest recorded numbers in 2024.”
MORE CHILDREN FOUND HOMELESS
“People in families with children had the largest single year increase in homelessness. Between 2023 and 2024, 39% more people in families with children experienced homelessness. Overall, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 18%. Nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33% percent increase ,or 32,618 more children, over 2023. Between 2023 and 2024, children, defined as those under the age of 18, were the age group that experienced the largest increase in homelessness.”
NUMBER OF HOMELESS VETERANS DOWN
“Veterans were the only population to report continued declines in homelessness. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined by 8%, or 2,692 fewer veterans. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness has declined by 55% since data collection about veteran homelessness began in 2009. The declines in sheltered and unsheltered experiences of homelessness were similar, (56% and 54%). These declines are the result of targeted and sustained funding to reduce veteran homelessness.”
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
HUD ANALYSIS ON VETERANS
“Through targeted funding and interventions that utilize evidence-based practices, homelessness among veterans dropped to the lowest number on record. There was a nearly 8% decrease, from 35,574 in 2023 to 32,882 in 2024, in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness. Among unsheltered veterans, the number dropped nearly 11%, rom 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024. In 2024, HUD helped connect nearly 90,000 veteran households to stable, rental homes through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it has permanently housed 47,925 Veterans experiencing homelessness in FY2024 marking the largest number of veterans housed in a single year since FY 2019.”
https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_24_327
HOMELESS BY AGE
About 1 in every 5 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024 was age 55 or older. More than 104,000 people experiencing homelessness were between the ages of 55 to 64, and just over 42,150 people were over age 64. Nearly half of adults aged 55 or older, 46%, were experiencing unsheltered homelessness in places not meant for human habitation.
RACE AND ETHNICITY
People who identify as Black, African American, or African continue to be overrepresented among the population experiencing homelessness. People who identify as Black made up just 12% of the total U.S. population and 21% of the U.S. population living in poverty but were 32% of all people experiencing homelessness.
However, the share of people experiencing homelessness who identify as Black of any ethnicity decreased from 37% of all people experiencing homelessness in 2023. This change could partially be due to changes in the way race and ethnicity was reported this year and the inclusion of additional reporting categories. However, in recent years, many Communities of Care (CoCs) have engaged in additional technical assistance to correct bias in the allocation of housing and prevention resources. This decline could also reflect the effects of those and other local efforts to more fairly distribute resources
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
CHRONIC PATTERNS OF HOMELESSNESS
One in every 3 individuals experiencing homelessness reported having experienced chronic patterns of homelessness, or 152,585 people. This is the highest number of individuals experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness counted in the annual Point In Time survey. Individuals experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness have increased by 27% since data was first collected in 2007. A whopping 65% of all individuals experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness, or more than 99,500 people, were counted in unsheltered locations. This is also the highest number recorded since data collection began.
Click to access 2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
NATIONAL INVENTORY OF BEDS
“The national inventory of beds for people currently experiencing homelessness increased by 13% between 2023 and 2024. This increase was driven by increases in emergency shelter beds, which increased by 18% between 2023 and 2024 and have doubled since 2007. Transitional housing, meanwhile, has steadily decreased over time, declining by 4% between 2023 and 2024 and by 60% since 2007. However, this reduction since 2007 does not necessarily mean that transitional housing beds were completely removed from the national inventory.
Often transitional housing programs realize they function more like emergency shelter and convert their project type to align better with the way they actually function. In other cases, transitional housing programs converted to permanent housing projects, including transition-in-place and rapid rehousing. Nearly 60% of the national inventory of beds is for people formerly experiencing homelessness.
Rapid rehousing (RRH), permanent supportive housing (PSH), and other permanent housing (OPH) programs make up 57% of all beds reported in the housing inventory count (HIC) and people in these programs are not counted as experiencing homelessness in the PIT count data. Between 2023 and 2024 total inventory for these programs increased by 3%, with the largest increase among OPH programs, 14,735 more beds. This reflects significant investments into OPH through the Emergency Housing Voucher program. PSH makes up the largest share of all inventory for people formerly experiencing homelessness at 58%. While nationally the supply of PSH beds has more than doubled since 2007, there are still areas where the need for permanent housing has outpaced the supply.”
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
NEW MEXICO STATISTICS
Following are the statistics for the state of New Mexico gleaned from the HUD 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report with the pages of the report identified:
The estimated NUMBER OF PEOPLE experiencing homelessness in New Mexico in 2024 was reported as 4,641. (page 8).
The PERCENTAGE of people experiencing homelessness in New Mexico who were UNSHELTERED in 2024 was 48% (page8)
In New Mexico the number of People Experiencing Homelessness from 2023-2024 increased by 789 (page 9), an 11% to 25% increase.
The ESTIMATE OF THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS experiencing homelessness in New Mexico in 2024 was reported as 3,744 or a 65% to 74% range increase. (Page 20 of report)
Th percentages of the number of individuals experiencing homelessness who were UNSHELTERED in New Mexico in 2024 was 57% or a 31% to 50% range. (Page 21 of report)
The largest increase change in the Number of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in New Mexico from 2023-2024 was 933 more than a 25% increase. (Page 21 of report)
The estimates of People in Families with Children Experiencing Homelessness in New Mexico in 2024 was 887 or a 0% to 24% range. (Page 32 of report.)
The percentages of People in Families with Children Experiencing Homelessness Who Are Unsheltered in New Mexico in 2024 was 12% or a 5% to 15% range. (Page 32 of report)
The change in the Number of People in Families with Children Experiencing Homelessness in New Mexico DECLINED by 144 from 2023 to 2024. (Page 32 of report).
The link to the 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report: Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates is here:
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_24_327
Links to relied upon or quoted news sources are here:
Click to access 2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_24_327
ALBUQUERQUE’S “POINT IN TIME” HOMELESS NUMBERS
On July 31, the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness released the 2024 Point-In-Time (PIT) Report for the numbers of unhoused in Albuquerque. The PIT count occurred on the night of January 29, 2024. The link to review the entire 62-page 2024 PIT report is here:
https://www.nmceh.org/_files/ugd/2e9419_b4f165dd991a4b7aada59938d8488dbe.pdf
HOUSEHOLDS COUNTED IN ALBUQUERQUE
The 2024 PIT survey reported that the total count of HOUSEHOLDS experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque on January 29, 2024 was 2,248. (Households include those with or without children or only children.) The breakdown is as follows:
- Emergency Shelters: 1,018
- Transitional Housing: 174
- Unsheltered: 1,056
TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS: 2,248
PERSONS COUNTED IN ALBUQUERQUE
The 2024 PIT survey reported that the total count of PERSONS experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque on January 29, 2024 was 2,740 broken down in 3 categories.
- Emergency Shelters: 1,289
- Transitional Housing: 220
- Unsheltered: 1,231
TOTAL PERSONS: 2,740
UNSHELTERED BREAKDOWN
The data breakdown for the 2024 Albuquerque UNSHELTERED was reported as follows:
- 960 (78%) were considered chronically homeless.
- 727 (22%) were not considered chronically homeless.
- 106 (8.6%) had served in the military.
- 927 (75.3%) had NOT served in the military.
- 669 (56.6%) were experiencing homelessness for the first time.
- 525 (42.6%) were NOT experiencing homelessness for the first time.
ALBQUERQUE UNSHELTERED COUNTS YEAR TO YEAR
The data breakdown for Albuquerque’s UNSHELTERED for the past 2 years is as follows:
- 2023: 977
- 2024: 1231
https://www.nmceh.org/_files/ugd/2e9419_b4f165dd991a4b7aada59938d8488dbe.pdf (page 8 and 16)
ALBUQUERQUE UNSHELTERED ADULTS WITH DISABLING CONDITIONS
The data breakdown for the 2024 Albuquerque UNSHELTERED with disabling conditions was reported as follows:
- Adults with serious mental condition: 44.4%
- Adults with substance abuse disorder: 40%
- Adults with with another disabling condition: 25.8%
- Adults with HIV/AIDS: 1.3%
Note that a combined whopping 84.4% of all unsheltered adults were reported as suffering from serious mental illness or substance abuse disorder.
https://www.nmceh.org/_files/ugd/2e9419_b4f165dd991a4b7aada59938d8488dbe.pdf (page 11)
THOSE WHO MOVED TO NEW MEXICO FROM ELSEWHERE
For the first time, the PIT tried to gage the migration of the unhoused to New Mexico from other states. Individuals who stated they moved to New Mexico from somewhere else were asked whether or not they were experiencing homelessness when they moved to the State. They responded as follows:
- 82 (24.8%) said they were homeless before moving to the state.
- 212 (63.8%) said they were not homeless before moving to the state.
- 77 (11.4%) refused to answer
BARRIERS TO HOUSING LISTED
Unhoused respondents were asked to list the barriers they are currently experiencing that are preventing them from obtaining housing. The response options were developed during multiple meetings with community planning groups and based on responses to a similar 2023 survey question. The responses were as follows:
- Access to services: 439 responses (42%)
- Access to communication: 263 responses 25%
- Available housing is in unsafe neighborhoods: 119 responses 11%
- Credit issues: 150 responses 14%
- Criminal record: 220 responses 21%
- Deposit/Application fees: 316 responses 30%
- Lack of vouchers (rental subsidies: 333 responses 32%
- Missing documentation: 374 responses 35%
- No housing for large households: 33 responses 3%
- Pet deposits/Pet Rent: 57 responses 5%
- Pets not allowed/Breed Restrictions: 48 responses 5%
- Rental history: 144 responses 14%
- Rental prices: 340 responses 32%
- Safety/Security: 77 responses 7%
- Substance Use Disorder: 283 responses 27%
- Lack of employment: 45 responses 4%
- Disabled: 34 responses 3%
- No mailing address: 31 3%
- Lack of income: 30 3%
- Homeless by choice: 30 responses 3%
- Ineffective service landscape: 25 responses 2%
- Lack of transportation: 14 responses 1%
- Discrimination: 8 responses 1%
ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS AND REMOVAL
For the very first time, Albuquerque’s Unhoused were asked how many times has their encampment been decommissioned (removed) by the city over the last year. Following are the statistics:
- 69 reported once
- 98 report twice
- 67 reported three times
- 55 reported 4 times
- 497 report 5 time or more
ITEMS LOST AS A RESULT OF CITY CLEAN UPS
The unhouse surveyed were asked what types of items they lost during encampment removals. Losing these items can hinder progress toward housing and cause emotional distress, especially when sentimental items are involved. The response categories are not mutually exclusive and respondents were allowed to select more than one that applied.
- 81% said they lost their birth certificate.
- 5% said they lost a phone or tablet.
- 4% said they lost personal or sentimental items.
- 5% said they lost prescription medications.
- 9% said they lost social security cards.
- 6 said they lost a state ID or driver’s license.
NEW MEXICO STATUTES AND CITY ORDINANCES
New Mexico Statutes and City Ordinances that have been enacted to protect the general public health, safety, and welfare and to protect the public’s peaceful use and enjoyment of property rights. All the laws cited have been on the books for decades and are applicable and are enforced against all citizens and not just the unhoused. The specific statutes cited in the lawsuit are:
- NMSA 1978, Section 30-14-1 (1995), defining criminal trespass on public and private property.
- NMSA 1978, Section 30-14-4 (1969), defining wrongful use of property used for a public purpose and owned by the state, its subdivisions, and any religious, charitable, educational, or recreational association.
- Albuquerque City Ordinance 12-2-3, defining criminal trespass on public and private property.
- Albuquerque City Ordinance 8-2-7-13, prohibiting the placement of items on a sidewalk so as to restrict its free use by pedestrians.
- Albuquerque City Ordinance 10-1-1-10, prohibiting being in a park at nighttime when it is closed to public use.
- Albuquerque City Ordinance 12-2-7, prohibiting hindering persons passing along any street, sidewalk, or public way.
- Albuquerque City Ordinance 5-8-6, prohibiting camping on open space lands and regional preserves.
- Albuquerque City Ordinance 10-1-1-3, prohibiting the erection of structures in city parks.
All the above laws are classified as “non-violent crimes” and are misdemeanors. The filing of criminal charges by law enforcement are discretionary when the crime occurs in their presence. The City of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Police Department has agreed that only citations will be issued and no arrests will be made for violations of the 8 statutes and city ordinance as part of a court approved settlement in a decades old federal civil rights lawsuit dealing with jail overcrowding.
US SUPREME COURT CASE GRANTS PASS V. JOHNSON
On June 28, the United State Supreme Court announced its ruling in the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson where the court held that local laws effectively criminalizing homelessness do not violate the U.S. Constitution and do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
The case challenged a municipality’s ability to bar people from sleeping or camping in public areas, such as sidewalks and parks. The case is strikingly similar in facts and circumstances and laws to the case filed against the City of Albuquerque over the closure of Coronado Park.
The case came from the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass, which appealed a ruling striking down local ordinances that fined people $295 for sleeping outside after tents began crowding public parks. The homeless plaintiffs argued that Grants Pass, a town with just one 138-bed overnight shelter, criminalized them for behavior they couldn’t avoid: sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go.
Meanwhile, municipalities across the western United States argued that court rulings hampered their ability to quickly respond to public health and safety issues related to homeless encampments. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over the nine Western states, ruled in 2018 that such bans violate the Eighth Amendment in areas where there aren’t enough shelter beds.
The United States Supreme Court considered whether cities can enforce laws and take action against or punish the unhoused for sleeping outside in public spaces when shelter space is lacking. The case is the most significant case heard by the high court in decades on the rights of the unhoused and comes as a rising number of people in the United States are without a permanent place to live.
In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the Supreme Court reversed a ruling by a San Francisco-based appeals court that found outdoor sleeping bans amount to “cruel and unusual punishment” under the United States Constitution. The majority found that the 8th Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment does not extend to bans on outdoor sleeping in public places such as parks and streets. The Supreme Court ruled that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outdoors, even in West Coast areas where shelter space is lacking.
CITY’S FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO THE HOMELESS
Since becoming Mayor in 2017, Mayor Tim Keller has made the homeless the top priority perhaps only second to public safety. During the past 7 years of his tenure, the city has established two 24/7 homeless shelters, including purchasing the Loveless Gibson Medical Center for $15 million to convert it into a homeless shelter and he has spent upwards of $90 million to renovate it. The city is funding and operating 2 major shelters for the homeless, one fully operational with 450 beds and one when once remodeling is completed fully operational will assist upwards 1,000 homeless and accommodate at least 330 a night.
Originally, it was the city’s Family Community Services Department (FCS) Department that provided assistance to the homeless. In fiscal year 2021-2022, the department spent $35,145,851 on homeless initiatives. In 2022-2023 fiscal year the department spent $59,498,915 on homeless initiatives. On June 23, 2022 Mayor Tim Keller announced that the city was adding $48 million to the FY23 budget to address housing and homelessness issues in Albuquerque. Key appropriations included in the $48 million were as follows:
- $20.7 million for affordable and supportive housing
- $1.5 million for improvements to the Westside Emergency Housing Center
- $4 million to expand the Wellness Hotel Program
- $7 million for a youth shelter
- $6.8 million for medical respite and sobering centers
- $7 million for Gateway Phases I and II, and improvements to the Gibson Gateway Shelter facility
- $555,000 for services including mental health and food insecurity prevention
The link to the quoted source is here:
Effective July 1, 2024, the Family and Community Services Department was split to create two departments: Health, Housing and Homelessness (HHH) and the Youth and Family Services (YFS). The Health, Housing and Homelessness Department (HHH) provides a range of services to the unhoused. The services offered by the department directly or by contract with community providers include:
- Behavioral health services, which encompass mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention.
- Homeless services.
- Domestic violence support.
- Health care.
- Gang/violence intervention and prevention.
- Public health services.
- Rental assistance and affordable housing developments.
HHH also operates four Health and Social Service Centers and the HHH department employs upwards of 100 full time employees.
The enacted FY/25 General Fund budget for the HHH Department is $52.2 million, which includes $48 million for strategic support, health and human services, affordable housing, mental health services, emergency shelter, homeless support services, Gibson Health HUB operating, and substance use services from Family and Community Services Department, and $4.2 million for a move of Gibson Health HUB maintenance division form General Service Department.
The HHH departments FY/25 budget which began on July 1, 20224 includes:
- $13.3 million of FY/24 one-time funding transferred from Family and Community Services, including $265 thousand for strategic support,
- $110 thousand for health and human services,
- $8.5 million for affordable housing,
- $1.5 million for mental health services,
- $1.2 million for emergency shelter,
- $200 thousand for substance use services,
- $1 million for homeless support services and $500 thousand for the Gateway Phase 1 and Engagement Center at Gibson Health Hub.
The FY/25 HHH Department budget increases recurring funding of $250 thousand for Family Housing Navigation Center/Shelter (Wellness-2), and recurring funding of $250 thousand for Gibson Health HUB maintenance. The proposed budget adjusts program appropriations of $776 thousand in FY/25 based on projected savings.
The Gateway Homeless shelter on Gibson, the city’s one-stop shop for shelter, housing and employment services, has been appropriated $10.7 million in total funding fiscal year 2025.
The Westside Emergency Housing Center was appropriated $1.5 million.
The proposed budget includes $8 million in one-time funding for supportive housing and voucher programs, plus $100,000 for emergency housing vouchers for victims of domestic violence.
Other major budget highlights for the homelessness, housing and behavioral health include the following:
- $900,000 nonrecurring to fully fund the Assisted Outpatient Treatment program.
- $730,000 in recurring funding for operation of the Medical Sobering Center at the Gateway Shelter.
- $100,000 nonrecurring for emergency housing vouchers for victims of domestic violence.
- “Full funding”for service contracts for mental health, substance abuse, early intervention and prevention programs, domestic violence shelters and services, sexual assault services, health and social service providers, and services to abused, neglected, and abandoned youth.
- $1.5 million in recurring funding for the Medical Respite facility at the Gateway Center.
- $100,000 nonrecurring for the development of a technology system that enables the city and providers to coordinate on the provision of social services to people experiencing homelessness and behavioral health challenges.
- $500,000 nonrecurring to fund Albuquerque Street Connect. According to the mayor’s office, Street Connect is a “proven program” that focuses on establishing ongoing relationships with people experiencing homelessness to help them into supportive housing.
You can review all city hall department budgets at this link:
Click to access fy24-proposed-web-version.pdf
According to the City budgets for the years 2021 to 2024, the Keller administration has spent over $300 million in the last 4 years on homeless shelters, programs, and the city purchasing and remodeling motels for low-income housing. Keller insisted on buying the old Lovelace hospital on Gibson for his Gateway Homeless shelter and he has spent upwards of $90 million to remodel it because of asbestos removal.
Keller has taken an “all the above approach” to deal with the city’s homeless. The city will have a total of 5 shelters to deal with the homeless that should be operating as an integrated system:
- The Gibson Gateway shelter
- The Gateway West shelter
- The Family Gateway shelter
- The Youth Homeless shelter
- The Recovery Shelter
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The blunt reality is that Mayor Tim Keller, with all of his good intentions, 5 shelters and millions being spent on programs and services, is essentially proclaiming the unhoused to be “wards of the city” when such a responsibility should be undertaken by the state or federal governments. The city is assuming a financial burden that is not sustainable in the long run and it is becoming too big of a drain on city resources to the determent of essential, basic services.
The recent annual Point-In-Time homeless survey count found an 18% to 25% increase in the homeless with upwards of 3,000 chronic homeless in the city. It has been reported by those taking the survey itself that 75% refuse city services wanting to be left alone to continue living on the streets. A whopping combined total of 84.4% of all unsheltered adults were reported as suffering from serious mental illness or substance abuse disorder. (44.4% adults with serious mental condition + 40% Adults with substance abuse disorder = 84.4%)
Despite Keller’s spending efforts to assist the unhoused, the city’s homeless numbers continue to spike and are out of control as the crisis worsens as the unhoused refuse services and as they take over our streets and parks. The $300 million spent to help 3,000 to 5,000 homeless with 75% refusing services would have gone a long way to finance community centers, senior citizen centers, police and fire substations, preschool or after school programs, senior citizen programs, and police and fire programs.
Keller has allowed the unhoused to proliferate city streets, parks and open space declining to aggressively enforce city and state vagrancy laws and make arrests as allowed by a United States Supreme Court ruling. Keller allowed Coronado Park to become the city’s de facto city sanction homeless encampment before he declared it to be the most dangerous place in the state forgetting it was he who sanctioned it and then he was forced to close it down because of out-of-control violent crime and illicit drug use.
Being unhoused is not a crime. Government, be it federal, state or local, have a moral obligation to help and assist the unhoused, especially those that are mentally ill or who are drug addicted. But that does not mean you make them “wards of the city” to provide any and all assistance they want, how they want it and at their beckon call.
The unhoused are not above the law. They cannot be allowed to just ignore the law, illegally camp wherever they want for as long as they want and as they choose, when they totally reject any and all government housing or shelter assistance. The City has every right to enforce its laws on behalf of its citizens to preserve and protect the public health, safety and welfare of all its citizens.
Unlawful encampment squatters who refuse city services and all alternatives to living on the street, who want to camp at city parks, on city streets in alleys and trespass in open space give the city no choice but to take action and force them to move on. Allowing the homeless to use, congregate and camp anywhere they want for as long as they want in violation of city laws and ordinances should never be considered as an option to deal with the homeless crisis given all the resources the city is dedicating the millions being spent to assist the homeless.
Too many elected and government officials and organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Association of New Mexico, have no problem and see nothing wrong with homeless adults simply living their life as they choose, where they want to camp for as long as they can get away with it, without any government nor family interference and especially no government rules and no regulations. They could not careless the negative impact such conduct has on others and others rights.
No municipality should ever be required to just simply ignore and to not enforce anti-camping ordinances, vagrancy laws, civil nuisance abatement laws and criminal laws designed to protect the general public’s health, safety and welfare of a community.
Squatters who have no interest in any offers of shelter, beds, motel vouchers or alternatives to living on the street really give the city no choice but to make it totally inconvenient for them to “squat” anywhere they want and force them to move on. After repeated attempts to force them to move on and citations, arrests are in order.
CIVIL MENTAL HEALTH COMMITMENTS VIABLE SOLUTION
During the 2025 New Mexico Legislature, the state enacted the Behavioral Health Reform Package consisting of 3 Senate Bills that make sweeping changes to how New Mexico’s mental health and drug abuse treatment programs are run statewide. Hundreds of millions are dedicated to the programs. One bill requires regional plans be crafted for providing mental health and substance abuse treatment. The plans would be overseen by the state judicial branch and would include time lines and regional funding priorities.
The 2024 legislature enacted the Behavioral Health package that will fund half billion trust fund to build behavioral health facilities an hire personnel in 3 regions. The county also has behavioral health tax where facilities are also being built. The city was nuts to convert the old Lovelace hospital to a 24/7 shelter and should have kept it as a hospital and use the 200 patient rooms for civil mental health commitments. Part of the enacted behavioral health package expands definition of serious danger to self and others an DA can get people committed for longer periods of time and compel treatment. The Courts will be in charge and they are committed to getting the job done.
A whopping 84.4% of all unsheltered adults in Albuquerque are reported as suffering from serious mental illness or substance abuse disorder which translates into posing a serious threat to their own safety or the safety of others. Rather than emphasizing temporary housing as Mayor Keller has done with his integrated shelter program, the city should take steps to implement a “civil mental health commitment” program to deal with the unhoused who are suffering from mental illness and drug addiction to get them the treatment and care they need and get them off the streets once and for all.