Bernalillo County officials plan to further study the idea of starting a mobile hygiene program after county commissioners responded positively to a presentation at Tuesday’s meeting, although there are no immediate plans to roll it out yet.
Jamie Duvall of consulting firm Apex Evaluation discussed research findings her company gathered on behalf of the county’s Behavioral Health Initiative.
She said thousands of people in Albuquerque face housing insecurity and because of that, have limited access to clean water, restrooms and laundry services. Duvall said that shortage is a public health crisis and makes it difficult for people to move into stable housing.
“The one solution that we kept coming across in the literature is mobile hygiene units,” Duvall told commissioners.
The units exist in a variety of forms, she said, with some offering showers, toilets and laundry machines.
A solution to the waste problem?
The discussion came after Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada asked during a previous meeting for a presentation on the subject.
He said the units’ benefit would go beyond those using them, citing messages he’s received from business owners who have been cleaning human waste off their premises.
“People need the bathroom,” Quezada said. “What’s the solution to that? Give them the opportunity to do that.”
Duvall said the research team found 20 notable organizations across the country operating mobile hygiene units. She said they learned one station can provide 2,000 to 3,000 showers and 750 loads of laundry per month.
“They could also be great hubs for community services,” she said, identifying caseworkers and health clinics among services that could be offered to hygiene unit users.
Quezada said having other services nearby would create further opportunities for those seeking help.
“I think once somebody gets to the point where they may feel a little more human again, maybe they’re a little more open to talk about maybe programs or moving their life in a different direction,” he said.
Commission Vice Chair Eric Olivas said the units could play a role in the area’s strategy for combating homelessness as well as public health.
He said the City of Albuquerque’s “poop patrol” program is an immediate response to the problem of human waste on the streets and that mobile hygiene units could be a medium-term solution.
“But the long-term piece is also really important, and I want to make sure that whatever we do in this medium term doesn’t take away from that long-term solution,” Olivas said. “The long term here is all about more housing, and I would also add it’s about permanent public restrooms.”
He and Commissioner Walt Benson also had questions about how much the program would cost, how many employees would be needed, where the water would come from and how waste water would be disposed of.
Wayne Lindstrom, deputy county manager for behavioral health, said county staff will do more research and present the board with a slate of options, with costs and other details clarified.
Commissioner Adriann Barboa said she’s somewhat familiar with the concept and supports it in principle. She related an anecdote about one person who used a unit in the International District who got a job and was able to stay employed despite not having a fixed residence because a shower was available.
Barboa said the unit, run by the Compassionate Service Center, is regularly used and popular.