As Albuquerque grapples with stubbornly high housing costs and an increase in people living on the streets, a city board says there’s more reason for concern. The city’s unhoused population also faces widespread discrimination, stigma and exclusion — often from city employees or city contractors. The Albuquerque Human Rights Board published its preliminary findings last […]
Housing & Homelessness
Posted inAlbuquerque, Features, Housing & Homelessness
Combatting the ‘not in my backyard’ attitude
The priorities of the South San Pedro Neighborhood Association wouldn’t be strange to other neighborhoods across Albuquerque: Increased safety and cleanliness, small business support, increased engagement with residents and elected officials. But its recent focus on housing solutions and services for those experiencing homelessness is less common. Affordable housing and overnight shelter projects often face […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness, National News, Syndicated
Newsom issues executive order for removal of homeless encampments in California
By TRÂN NGUYỄN SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday to direct state agencies on how to remove homeless encampments, a month after a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces. Newsom’s order is aimed at the thousands of tents and makeshift […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness, NM State Gov., Syndicated
No lawmaker has signed up to sponsor NM Gov’s panhandling bill
By PATRICK LOHMANN With less than a week until a special legislative session focused on public safety, no lawmaker has yet signed up to sponsor a bill pushed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham related to pedestrian safety and panhandling. Lawmakers will gather in Santa Fe on July 18 to address a handful of proposals related to […]
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Will my trash be picked up on July Fourth? Answers to your questions about city services over the holiday week
When a big summer holiday comes during the middle of the week, lots of local government services we take for granted change their hours or close. So will trash be picked up? Can I go to the library to beat the heat? Are city pools open? The answer, according to the City of Albuquerque, is […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness
Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless ups roving outreach
The city’s unhoused population — particularly near Downtown — often get health care and other services at the main campus of Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless (AHCH). But in recent years, the nonprofit’s street outreach has expanded and reached scores more. Of 1,212 people experiencing homelessness who were contacted through outreach between July 2021 […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
What projects will county residents vote on this November?
Bernalillo County voters will get to decide in November whether to support $40.5 million in capital projects ranging from a wrought iron fence to several new athletic fields. On June 25, the Board of Commissioners approved the list of projects for the general obligation bond issue and the questions that will be placed on the […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness, National News, Politics & Elections, Syndicated
Trump’s debate references to ‘Black jobs’ and ‘Hispanic jobs’ stir Democratic anger
By MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump warned during his debate with Joe Biden and again at a Friday rally that migrants were taking “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs” from Americans, angering critics who called it a racist and insulting attempt to expand his appeal beyond his white conservative base. While President Joe Biden’s […]
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ABQ advocates, officials weigh in on Supreme Court decision on homelessness
Advocates for those experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque reacted to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday with concerns about what it might mean for the city’s unhoused population. City officials, meanwhile, were also considering the implications of the decision. The court issued a decision Friday in the highly anticipated Grants Pass v. Johnson case. Siding with […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness
‘I didn’t like who I was becoming, and I was afraid’
Life changed in an instant for Ragina Smith on April 18, 2023, when her husband of five years was killed in a motorcycle accident. “One night he left and just didn’t come back,” Smith said. “He only had the bike three months.” The couple was living in Jacksonville, Florida, where Smith, 43, worked as a […]