During the legislative session, Bernalillo County actively lobbied for funding for transitional and affordable housing projects, resulting in a total of $150 million being allocated for such endeavors statewide.
Now the County Commission is considering submitting requests for both transitional and affordable housing projects.
The Bernalillo County Commission meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers, 415 Silver SW in Albuquerque. The funding Bernalillo County may request would be used both for infrastructure and for support services.
The funding would go to identified proposed projects that could provide affordable housing for about 1,750 residents and transitional housing for another 1,050 residents.
The County Commission is expected to vote on a resolution approving acquisition and construction of those projects and authorizing the county manager to approve property agreements and award bids for property management services.
The next steps for the county include submitting a request to the state for approval.
If Bernalillo County receives the state funding, it will then be able to move forward with the projects. However, no funds will be spent until the state confirms that Bernalillo County will receive reimbursement for the expenses.
Bernalillo County is seeking to address homelessness and to reduce the number of people who are at risk of becoming homeless, including those who are cost-burdened by high rents — meaning they are paying more than 30% of their household income on housing.
The county has recently seen a surge in homelessness, jumping more than 100% from 2022 to 2024.
Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque have committed to working to move 1,000 people off the streets and into housing.
Not all of the projects the county hopes to undertake will necessarily receive the state funding.
The County Commission agenda also includes the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan for the years 2027 through 2031. This essentially serves as a list of projects the county hopes to receive funding for in the upcoming years. Including a project on the list makes it more likely to receive certain types of funding, including state capital outlay dollars.
People who are unable to attend the meeting in person can watch it online at Bernco.gov/live.