Albuquerque Archives - City Desk ABQ

People experiencing homelessness camp on a city sidewalk in Albuquerque’s International District this past summer. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper

Albuquerque adds $1.6M to legal fight over homeless encampment sweeps

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque’s legal bill for defending its treatment of unhoused residents is getting bigger. The city has already paid nearly $1.4 million in legal fees and litigation expenses and has added another $1.6 million to its outside counsel contract, pushing the contract’s maximum value to $2.66 million. The City Council […]

Pictured is a city bus picking up passengers next to the location of the future project. Roberto E. Rosales / New Mexico News

Albuquerque, Local Government

Uptown Connect Secures millions as Albuquerque affordable housing project gets scaled back

by Jesse Jones 20 hours ago

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — The long-promised Uptown Connect housing project at Albuquerque’s Uptown transit hub is finally moving toward construction, with $31.2 million in new financing approved this week. But the project looks different on paper than it did last year, with fewer apartments, a lower price tag and a different financing package. […]

City Councilor Dan Champine seen on the left with City Councilor Dan Lewis during the City Council meeting on September 21, 2026. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper

Albuquerque, Local Government

Councilor Dan Lewis wants more say for neighborhood associations, less for coalitions in ABQ development

by Jesse Jones September 29, 2026September 30, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — When the City of Albuquerque approves a development project, construction may still be a long way off. Residents and community groups can challenge approved projects through city appeals and, in some cases, state court. Councilor Dan Lewis has proposed four companion measures that would change who can appeal those […]

A blue recycling bin sits along an Albuquerque street as the City Council will consider a proposed ordinance that would expand recycling access to all apartment renters and municipal buildings (Jesse Jones)

City’s recycling test could mean fewer pickups for some residents

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For some Burqueños, trash day will soon mean one less bin to take to the curb each week. The city is starting a pilot program that will switch blue recycling bin pickup from weekly to every other week. Starting today, the city’s Solid Waste Management Department will test the […]

ABQ RIDE’s five electric buses sit among other buses at the Ken Sanchez Transit Center in Albuquerque. The electric buses have not been in service since December because of mechanical problems and difficulty obtaining parts. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper

Five electric buses, zero passengers: ABQ electric buses not used since last December

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque’s first electric buses were supposed to be the start of a shift toward cleaner public transportation. Four years later, all five are still in the city’s fleet but have not carried passengers since December because of mechanical problems and difficulty getting parts. The city rolled out the fleet […]

Six months of lawsuits left Albuquerque with a $4.38 million tab

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Mayor Tim Keller sent two overdue quarterly litigation reports to the City Council last month, revealing $4.38 million in lawsuit settlements over six months, including a case in which a police SWAT operation burned down a family’s home and killed a teenage boy hiding inside. At its Sept. 21 […]

Luminarias glow outside San Felipe de Neri Church in Old Town Plaza in Albuquerque. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper Credit: The Paper.

Albuquerque, Events

Keller: The Luminaria Bus Tour is back on

by Jesse Jones September 23, 2026September 23, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Days after the City of Albuquerque’s Transit Department announced that its Christmas Eve Luminaria Bus Tour had been canceled this year, Mayor Tim Keller announced Wednesday that the popular holiday tradition is back on. In a news release, the administration said Keller directed the city to continue the annual […]

Planning Director Alan Varela speaks Wednesday at a press conference downtown about an apartment complex where tenants banded together and asked the city to step in. (Jesse Jones)

Fed up Albuquerque renters put new city protections to the test

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For more than a year, City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn has pushed for stronger renter protections, one city ordinance at a time. In June, two of her measures became law: the Rental Unit Habitability Enforcement Ordinance and a resolution requiring the city to prioritize safety violations. Now those protections are […]

‘Is the City the Grinch?’ Councilor slams decision to cancel Luminaria Bus Tour

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For 70 years, Burqueños have celebrated Christmas Eve aboard the Luminaria Bus Tour, riding city buses through the Old Town and Huning Castle neighborhoods to see glowing luminarias and neighbors gathered around bonfires. Now, the city has ended the tradition, saying the tour is no longer cost-effective. At Monday’s […]

The seal of the Albuquerque City Council

Council Preview: City Council faces decisions on shelter and multiple appeals

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque city councilors on Monday will address development projects, city spending and the future of a controversial overnight shelter during a meeting that also includes a slate of routine appointments and contract approvals. During the Sept. 21 meeting, councilors are expected to formally adopt findings from the last meeting’s […]