Bernalillo County officials and members of the public gathered Thursday morning to recognize 222 deceased residents as part of its unclaimed indigent cremation program — the highest number since the initiative began in 2012. A ceremony was held at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque where each person’s name was read. Urns containing ashes from cremations […]
Category: Housing & Homelessness
County commissioners delay funding for pallet homes, reaffirm support
Bernalillo County commissioners Tuesday reaffirmed support for an effort to combat the local homelessness problem, despite voting to move money they had designated for it elsewhere. At their regular meeting, commissioners decided to redistribute $600,000 that had been earmarked for a pallet-home campus planned by the City of Albuquerque. City leaders envision the pallet homes […]
City Council approves $2.4 million in tax incentives for four housing projects
The City Council approved $2.4 million in tax incentives for four housing projects Wednesday night. During their Wednesday meeting, city councilors unanimously passed four bills from the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency for housing projects expected to add 300 housing units across four developments. The bills were sponsored by Councilor Nichole Rogers and introduced at the last […]
As temperatures rise, most vulnerable communities are often the hottest
Summer 2024 in Albuquerque is on track to be one of the hottest on record — adding to a string of high temps in recent years that have packed a punch. But heat in the metro isn’t evenly distributed — it tends to be most intense in historically underserved areas, in part due to an […]
Do you need a place to sleep? Here’s a map of shelters in Albuquerque
The question of how many beds are available for people experiencing homelessness has emerged as a sticking point as cities across the country grapple with how to tackle the issue. With this in mind, City Desk ABQ called around to 14 shelters identified by the City of Albuquerque and the New Mexico Coalition to End […]
Keller aims to expand homeless, recovery services
Mayor Tim Keller used the occasion of his State of the City address Aug. 17 to highlight a series of initiatives (some new, some in progress) that are designed to improve the lot of those experiencing homelessness — including adding or bolstering four city-run facilities to serve different populations. The Metro Homelessness Initiative (MHI) is […]
A dearth of public bathrooms is more than just an inconvenience
At Mayor Tim Keller’s State of the City address, he said there are an estimated 5,000 people living on the streets in Albuquerque. For those thousands — along with other city residents — locating a public restroom can be a challenge. While there’s no shortage of proposed solutions, city officials and advocates alike say none […]
Housing shortage could put brakes on new short-term rentals
The surge of short-term rentals and the rise of companies such as Airbnb has made it more difficult to find a home to rent or a house to buy in Albuquerque. The issue has spurred city councilors to propose a bill to limit the number of short-term rentals in certain areas, but others say it’s […]
International District could see $50 million boost from feds
The buzz has been building among city officials and International District residents about the prospect that up to $50 million in federal money could be funneled into an area that desperately needs it. The city and the Albuquerque Housing Authority (AHA) were recently awarded a $500,000 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant through the U.S. Department of […]
Homelessness, crime push rents higher says International District landlord
Property owners in the International District say homeless encampments and crime have caused insurance rates to skyrocket — in some cases tripling — and are contributing to higher rents for tenants in order to offset the costs. One well-known landlord with 1,800 apartments located mostly in the Southeast area — Chuck Sheldon — said the […]