More than a dozen nonprofit and city leaders who work in homelessness and housing services across the state met in Albuquerque on Tuesday to mark an infusion of $16.3 million in federal funds for its programs.

A roundtable event at Cuidando Los Niños featured U.S. Reps. Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez, part of the New Mexico delegation in Congress who helped secure the funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). New Mexico’s share was part of a total $3.16 billion funded nationwide — the largest-ever amount in HUD “Continuum of Care Program” dollars, first announced in February.

“[Homelessness is] one of the most critical issues facing New Mexicans and the country,” Vasquez said. “Homelessness and the unhoused is not an easy issue, but today we’re here at a place that specifically takes care of the most vulnerable population — the young people that are impacted.”

The Cuidando Los Niños campus, located at 1500 Walter St. SE, provides daytime services to 55 homeless children and their parents — mostly mothers who are fleeing from domestic violence. The group, which has an 80-family waiting list, received $229,048 of the funds.

“I can’t think of a more important issue to work on than housing,” Stansbury said. “For me, housing is a human right; housing is infrastructure; housing is core to ensuring that our families and communities have opportunity.”

Stansbury said she experienced homelessness when she was in middle school after her mother lost her job as a contract seamstress after breaking her leg in an accident. The family subsequently lost their home and lived in a tent for a summer in a family friend’s backyard.

“I remember I only had two sets of clothes,” Stansbury said. “One of the little boys in one of my classes came up to me and punched me and said: ‘You don’t have any other clothes? You come to school in the same clothes every day?’ I’m now a 45-year-old woman and that story still breaks my heart.”

Front-line groups
Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico was one of 26 statewide organizations that received a portion of the HUD funding — about $1.1 million. The nonprofit offers permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing programs.

“I’m excited because I know that this money is going to change people’s lives,” Andy Najar, a Catholic Charities associate director, said. 

Najar, who said he’s been working in the field for 25 years, lauded his colleagues for working in a profession that’s “hard” and “tough.”

“You’re all a bunch of angels for doing it because I know it’s crazy,” he said.

Debbie Johnson, the founder and CEO of TenderLove Community Center in Albuquerque, which received $375,422, said the group’s mission is to reduce poverty, social exclusion and homelessness.

“I don’t see the homeless,” she said. “I see future leaders. I see future government officials. We help them from where they are, and set goals to where they want to see themselves in one year, two years, six years.”

Johnson said most of her staff have formerly experienced homelessness and used TenderLove’s services. She said one of the most pressing issues among homelessness providers is ever-growing waiting lists, and appealed to Stansbury and Vasquez to continue to press for more funding for the state.

“Please see what you can do so we can eradicate the long waiting lists,” Johnson said. “About six years ago, one of my clients living in poverty wanted to commit suicide because she was waiting to be called for housing and it was taking too long.”

$16.3 million funding breakdown

• City of Albuquerque: $3,591,847
• New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness: $1,434,735 
• Youth Shelters & Family Services: $1,165,192
• Mesilla Valley Community of Hope: $1,125,523
• Catholic Charities: $1,067,213
• The Life Link: $953,769
• La Casa Inc.: $940,816
• Battered Families Services Inc.: $632,625
• DreamTree Project Inc.: $628,833
• Supportive Housing Coalition of New Mexico: $610,902
• Valencia Shelter Services: $498,370
• Saint Elizabeth Shelter Corp.: $382,677 
• TenderLove Community Center: $375,422
• Sandoval County: $372,924
• Santa Fe Community Housing Trust: $340,617
• High Desert Housing: $325,516
• El Camino Real Housing Authority: $325,276
• San Juan County Partnership: $269,676
• Supporting People In Need (SPIN): $237,479
• Cuidando Los Niños: $229,048
• Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless: $163,211
• San Juan Safe Communities Initiative Inc.: $158,403
• Community Against Violence Inc.: $139,702
• El Refugio Inc.: $128,661
• Casa Milagro Inc.: $121,063
• Abode Inc.: $53,915