The Homeless Coordinating Council — consisting of members from the city, Bernalillo County, the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center and others — met Tuesday for its last meeting of the year. The HCC was created to take a lead on solving issues related to those experiencing homelessness in the Albuquerque metro area — a number estimated to be at least 5,000.
Here are three takeaways from the meeting.
Advocate says city’s homeless ‘giving up’
One of the most active volunteer street outreach advocates in the city, Ilse Biel, gave public comment to the HCC about what she’s seen in the homeless community in recent months.
“Too many of them have just completely given up hope,” Biel said. “The displacements carry on unabated. If you go through the International District, especially on the northern side of Central [Avenue], it’s hard to believe that this is supposed to be a First World country.”
Biel said she sees many on the street without blankets, tents or sleeping bags, so she often buys supplies with her own money. But she said some no longer accept her offer, because they think the items will simply be discarded in an encampment sweep.
“Too many people are just saying, ‘Oh, thanks. Really sweet of you, but don’t bother,’” Biel said. “I’m worried if we carry on with these displacements … folks are now literally just giving up. I’ve seen this happen before, but in far smaller quantities than now.”
Concern about emergency winter beds
Members gave updates on plans ensuring that those experiencing homelessness are offered beds and warm clothing as the city experiences its coldest days of the year. Maria Wolfe, the city’s homeless innovations officer, said coats and other supplies were being diligently handed out.
“We’ve distributed hundreds of coats already that were donated, and these are heavy down coats, down blankets and snow pants,” Wolfe said. “We also have them available at Gateway West at all times.”
Wolfe said Gateway West, the city’s Westside shelter with a 660 capacity, was currently exceeding 600 occupants a night.
“We’re working on just making sure that we have a warm space available for anybody who’s ready to come inside,” she said.
City Councilor Nichole Rogers, the HCC’s vice chair, asked about the availability of additional shelter beds if severe weather were to put Gateway West over its capacity. The flagship Gateway Center on Gibson Boulevard last winter had made room for 35 emergency winter beds, but Wolfe said that was no longer the case.
“It was in a building that did not have built-in showers, so there were issues — and just funding — when you looked at the cost per person served, it wasn’t the best way to do this,” Wolfe said.
She said officials agreed that it made more sense to add 30 beds at Gateway West, because it is “fully funded [and] has the safety, security, food and transportation in place.” Wolfe said that as Gateway Center continued to be built-out, it would give the city more bed options.
“So instead of having emergency beds at the Taj Mahal of homelessness — Gateway [Center] — we’re just adding 30 beds to Gateway West? I’m gonna listen to what my mom says: ‘If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all,’” Rogers said.
Health, Housing & Homelessness Department spokesperson Connor Woods told City Desk ABQ via email Tuesday that as part of the city’s cold-weather measures, 10 additional cots could be added to each dorm at Gateway West if needed — accommodating another 100 people beyond its capacity.
Tribal housing summit in Albuquerque on tap for 2025
Chenoa Bah of UNM Health Sciences announced that funding had been secured to produce a tribal housing summit that will take place in Albuquerque, likely in late June.
“It will be for survivors, for unsheltered relatives and will address the spectrum of housing as a human right,” Bah said. “Also all the diverse issues surrounding tribal housing in urban areas and housing for Native American families and individuals in rural and urban areas.”
Bah said it was too early to know how many days the summit would run, but that it would offer training and education similar to UNM’s Dual Diagnosis & Recovery Summit, which took place in September.
“We’d like to have a panel of survivors share their stories and talk about what resources worked and didn’t work for them, nationwide and locally,” Bah said.
For more information, Bah can be reached at cstilwelljensen@salud.unm.edu.
Meanwhile, Rogers is asking the public to consider serving on one of the subcommittees the HCC has formed. Subcommittees are focused on Native American homelessness, African American homelessness, reentry issues, data-sharing and system barriers, and homelessness prevention. For more, email Ziarra Kirksey at zkirksey@cabq.gov.
“This is the biggest issue facing our city as a whole, and we need all hands on deck,” Rogers said.
The next Homeless Coordinating Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14.