Mayor Tim Keller wants lawmakers to shell out money for a sizable list of city legislative priorities that include public safety, housing and homelessness and the ongoing construction of the Rail Trail development. He announced the requests Wednesday, less than two weeks before state lawmakers meet in Santa Fe for a 60-day session Jan. 21.
The public safety list includes more police vehicles, body and in-vehicle cameras, license plate readers, mobile surveillance units, smart cameras and crime lab equipment — as well as funds for new fire stations and improvements to current ones.
While at least $100 million of local, state and federal dollars have been spent on the city’s Gateway-branded facilities geared at reducing homelessness, the city wants more. It’s asking lawmakers for funds to add overnight shelter bed capacity and bring on more case managers and support services.
Recovery Gateway — the city’s recently launched pallet-home project — received $5.8 million in opioid settlement funds and a pitch-in by Bernalillo County to cover infrastructure costs and two years of operations, but officials are looking ahead and asking for more. The project is designed to assist those experiencing homelessness who are also battling drug and alcohol addiction.
Meanwhile, the Keller administration wants the state to help support a more effective homelessness data-tracking system and a more efficient housing voucher program — both are areas the City Council has put pressure on officials to improve in recent months.
More affordable housing
One of the city’s most daunting challenges is a lack of affordable housing by tens of thousands of units — a crushing issue for both lower-and-middle class Burqueños seeking stability and wanting to plant roots. Keller hopes lawmakers will continue to help, by directing funds to new housing construction and rehabilitation initiatives — including new (and improvements to) transitional housing projects for veterans.
Further, the city wants to build on its history of converting shuttered or underutilized hotels into affordable housing units — and wants more funds to do it. In addition, officials want more state dollars to help leverage the work being done by the Middle Rio Grande Housing Collaborative, which identifies city-county land for housing projects and expedited construction.
Finally, more funds are being requested for the ongoing construction phases of the city’s Rail Trail development. About $40 million has been spent so far, but officials say they need at least $40 million more. The city’s priority list specifically mentions the pedestrian tunnels near Central Avenue and First Street (under the railroad tracks), which is slated to be brought above ground.
“This has been a pivotal year for Albuquerque with significant breakthroughs on some of the biggest and most important projects the city’s ever seen; we need to keep pushing forward,” Keller said in a statement. “We’re asking our lawmakers in Santa Fe to continue to support these vital programs and keep the momentum moving forward.”
Nonprofit journalism like this depends on readers like you. This story is supported by City Desk ABQ, a nonprofit newsroom project of Citizen Media Group supporting news and politics coverage that inspires readers to participate in local democracy. Become a supporter to keep City Desk free and support nonprofit, independent journalists covering politics and policy f0r New Mexico newsrooms.