Two Albuquerque city councilors want to take a fresh look at the city’s emergency motel voucher program – used to give individuals or families a free room for a night or a short stay in emergency situations. The program is considered a lifeline while stable housing is sought for those who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless due to evictions or natural disasters. The vouchers are also used in incidents of domestic violence.
Councilors Renée Grout and Nichole Rogers say the program has problems, such as a limited number of participating motels and some that are blighted, unsafe, and hot spots of criminal activity. The program needs better oversight, too, they said.
“We’ve had some folks reach out who showed us some of the conditions at motels receiving vouchers – it didn’t look healthy,” Grout, the District 9 City Councilor, told City Desk ABQ. “A lot attract unwanted behavior, so we started asking a bunch of questions and got lots of different answers.”
Grout said some of the problem motels are located in the east Central Avenue corridor (which is in her district) and also in areas of west Central Avenue. She said the program could be effective, but that those who access it are often moving from one unsafe situation into another.
“It’s difficult for some agencies to find safe and clean motels that take vouchers,” Grout said.
Agencies like the Barrett House, Salvation Army and Catholic Charities distribute the vouchers.
Search for solutions
The city budget has designated about $150,000 in the current fiscal year for emergency vouchers. But the councilors want to know more about how that money is spent.
“I’ve always been curious about what our processes are with the emergency vouchers,” said Rogers, whose district includes areas of East Central Avenue and the city’s International District. “It’s important that the city does better at process improvements. Who are we serving? Are we having an impact? Are we maximizing the funding for the hotel vouchers?”
Rogers and Grout want the City Council to pass resolution R-24-5. If approved, it would create an 11-member working group to propose reforms and updates to the program. The group would meet with business owners, motel operators, city residents, and representatives of the agencies issuing vouchers.
Solutions could include both increased enforcement at motels and assistance for motel operators. Grout said some motel operators aren’t aware that the city offers free safety and crime prevention training, for example. She said the city might also consider providing grant assistance for small motel operators to improve safety and cleanliness standards.
Both councilors want voucher users to be more effectively connected to wrap-around services, like clothing donations, and job, housing and mental health assistance. Further, they say the working group could recommend updates to the city’s 20-year-old overnight lodging ordinance, which the voucher program falls under.
‘We can’t give up’
The proposed working group would include one staff member each from the city’s Health, Housing & Homelessness department, the planning department’s code enforcement division, Albuquerque Community Safety, fire marshal’s ADAPT (abandoned and dilapidated abatement property team) program, Albuquerque Police Department, City Council services department, and the mayor’s office. Four community members would be appointed by City Council – two with knowledge of the motel industry and two with knowledge of the voucher program.
“People that live in my community and in my area are concerned, but we can’t give up on this system,” Grout said. “It’s important we get people off the streets and give them services. We’ve heard great ideas, but need to get everyone in the same room.”
The working group would meet twice a week and issue recommendations to the City Council and mayor’s office within six months. The resolution advanced Jan. 29 through the finance and government operations committee on a 5-0 vote and is now scheduled to go before the full City Council at its Feb. 5 meeting.
To read the resolution, click here.