By Jesse Jones
On a freezing January night in Bernalillo, two people experiencing homelessness were found dead in a tent in the arroyo behind the Denny’s on U.S. 550 — a grim reminder that Sandoval County isn’t immune from experiencing one of the state’s biggest challenges.
Despite rapid population growth, Sandoval County lacks shelters and resources for its unhoused population. Many local agencies and law enforcement officers direct individuals to Albuquerque, but this approach is neither practical nor sustainable.
The disconnect between economic growth and social services raises a critical question: Is the county ignoring a growing problem, or is homelessness in Sandoval County less severe than perceived?
County Commissioner Joshua Jones acknowledges the issue, saying that growth brings new challenges, including homelessness. He said that as the county grows, issues that weren’t problems before will become problems.
Conflicting Perspectives
Official data suggests low numbers, such as the annual Point-In-Time (PIT) count by the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness (NMCEH). According to William Bowen, program officer with NMCEH, the 2023 count included 13 completed surveys, but the actual number of unhoused individuals is higher. “That said, we know that’s an undercount.”
The survey lets people list household members, so the total doesn’t count individuals. Also, refusals aren’t tracked by county — they’re just included in the statewide total.
The reliance on Albuquerque
With no dedicated homeless shelters, Sandoval County’s homeless population is forced to seek refuge elsewhere. Law enforcement officers often transport unhoused individuals to Albuquerque, where shelters operate under strict regulations.
“If they’re homeless, then the only thing that we can do, because we have no homeless shelter in Sandoval County, is call some of the places in Albuquerque,” said Sandoval County Undersheriff Joe Gonzales. “If they have openings, we’re more than happy to take them there.”
However, some unhoused individuals resist moving to Albuquerque due to shelter rules and safety concerns.
“Some have told me that they do go to Albuquerque to seek shelter, but a lot of them said that there are too many rules and they’re not ready or prepared to commit to what’s required as far as the rules are concerned,” said Peggy Barr, volunteer coordinator at St. Felix Food Pantry in Rio Rancho.
Rio Rancho’s hidden homeless population
Homelessness in Rio Rancho is often hidden, but some encampments exist.
One site near the Intel plant, known to some in the neighborhood as “the hole in the field,” is home to several people living in makeshift shelters. Rio Rancho resident John Pierce said at least six people stay in a dug-out hole near the plant and down the street from Rio Rancho Fire & Rescue Administration.
According to Rio Rancho’s 2022 Annual Action Plan, the city prioritized addressing homelessness through prevention programs and supportive services, primarily by funding local nonprofits. The plan acknowledged challenges in counting the homeless population and the needs of various homeless subgroups, as well as a lack of emergency shelters for the general homeless population and limited resources for unaccompanied youth. Two years later, none of the advocates or providers the Signpost spoke with were aware of any plans to consider shelter services.
According to Rio Rancho’s Consolidated Plan for 2023-2027, the city is focused on addressing homelessness by providing affordable housing and financial support. It aimed to assist 306 households in 2024. A city official said Rio Rancho assisted 39 people through the Sandoval County Permanent Supportive Housing program and another 183 through St. Felix Pantry Homelessness Prevention. The numbers are somewhat lower than anticipated due to staffing issues at the pantry. The city said the program was paused for 9 months during the reporting period but is now back on track.
The City of Vision has a policy to clear encampments when residents report them. Residents can use Report Rio Rancho, a free online and mobile service for non-emergency issues. The app lets users report concerns directly to the correct city department. It also uses GPS to automatically pin locations, making the process easier for residents, businesses and city staff.
According to Pierce, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull got involved in clearing an encampment in the field about two years ago after Pierce called the police. He said the site was hidden behind a tree until the mayor contacted the landowner and had it removed, clearing the area.
The New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness said Rio Rancho and Sandoval County lack emergency shelters and have few resources for unaccompanied youth. It also noted that homelessness and vagrancy are less visible in Rio Rancho than in other cities.
Despite the city’s focus on long-term housing solutions, immediate needs remain unmet. The lack of comprehensive data and reluctance from some entities to address the issue complicates efforts to combat homelessness. While officials emphasize affordable housing initiatives, residents express growing concerns about unhoused individuals, revealing a gap between policy and reality.
Jaley Turpen, Communications Specialist for the City of Rio Rancho, said, “Based on population and a funding formula, the City of Rio Rancho receives federal Community Development Block Grant funding (several hundred thousand dollars) from the federal government each year. Portions of this funding have been distributed to the Sandoval County Permanent Supportive Housing Program over the years. This program provides supportive housing rental assistance coupled with comprehensive case management, service coordination and advocacy services to chronically disabled persons, and their immediate family members, who are experiencing homelessness.”
While city officials emphasize long-term housing solutions, residents are concerned about immediate needs, as the plan does not address emergency homelessness services.
“When we came (to Rio Rancho), you’d see one or two (homeless people), and they were causing really no problems or anything like that,” Pierce said. “And now you see more and more that are disheveled, probably using the drugs and everything, and I believe they were escorted down to Bernalillo County a couple of times, and they just come right back.”
The rest of the county
Homelessness isn’t just a Rio Rancho issue — it reaches Corrales too.
Corrales resident Audrey Trujillo, a former candidate for State Senate and Secretary of State, told Pierce about a friend in her 70s who lived alone. The woman noticed a strange smell near her home, but even her grandkids avoided visiting because of it. Eight months later, they discovered a homeless encampment in the arroyo behind her house.
Despite this, officials don’t see homelessness as a major issue in Corrales.
Corrales Deputy Fire Chief Tonya Lattin said the police department is usually the first point of contact for reports of homeless individuals. She said the fire department has encountered a few camps in the Bosque over the years, but they aren’t common. If fires are found, the fire department responds, but most camps don’t seem dangerous.
“We get maybe two or three camps per year in our Bosque that are reported to us,” she said.
Corrales Police Chief Vic Mangiacapra said officers typically find unhoused individuals in the Bosque, where camping is prohibited, or on private property when owners request removal. Officers offer rides to shelters or relatives, but most people decline help.
“Our encounters with homeless subjects occur primarily on the South end of the Village and seem to be more prevalent over the past five years than prior to that time. However, they continue to be intermittent,” Mangiacapra said.
However, an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach mentality persists.
“Everybody wants to help the homeless population, but it’s a ‘not in my backyard’ type of deal. We want to help, but not here, do it over there,” Jones said. “If you’re saying that and the people over there saying that, then they’re not getting help.”
Like Rio Rancho, the county has programs to get people into long-term housing.
According to the Sandoval County website, its Permanent Supportive Housing program helps people “thrive, not merely survive, to achieve greater self-sufficiency, and to claim their places as positive, engaged members of the communities in which they live.”
According to local sources, it offers U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded rental assistance, plus optional case management and support for chronically disabled individuals and their families who meet the definition of chronic homelessness.
Community Efforts
Despite challenges, some organizations are tackling homelessness in Sandoval County.
St. Felix Food Pantry, a nonprofit, provides food, clothing and referrals for families and individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The City of Rio Rancho supports the pantry through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, which help low-income households with utility and rent or mortgage assistance.
According to the Consolidated Plan, the program aims to serve 170 homeless people. The city said it will continue supporting the pantry’s efforts and collaboration with other service providers.
“They’re coming because they are hungry. That is our mission — feeding people in need,” said Barr. “But as far as securing housing or anything else, I’m not real familiar.”
She said the pantry serves about 45 people a month but believes the number of homeless individuals is higher.
“We don’t have a huge number, but you see them around. A lot come through here, but we don’t track that data, so I don’t know,” she said.
Commissioner Jones has had discussions with Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury’s office about securing behavioral health funding for at-risk populations.
Sandoval County Commissioners Kathrine Bruch and Jordan Juarez said the county has been working to address mental health and substance abuse, recognizing their connection to homelessness.
“I believe that we as a county and a state need work on addressing behavioral health and substance abuse, which are, in my opinion, the root cause of our homelessness issues,” Juarez said.