Barbara Baca is a Bernalillo County Commissioner
It is inspiring to see what is possible when we work together as a community to address our biggest challenges. As Bernalillo County residents and as Americans there is nothing we cannot overcome if we truly believe we are all in it together.
For the state’s most populous urban area among our most urgent challenges are homelessness and access to affordable housing for residents across the economic spectrum. We need bold efforts to turn the tide on these dual and related challenges. We also need everyone, from business leaders to housing advocates to neighborhood representatives to roll up their sleeves and be willing to compromise on a comprehensive solution to these solvable problems.
Like most American cities and urban counties, finding adequate housing for all segments of our community has become extremely difficult. The shortage of housing supply has led to increased housing costs for everyone, making it extremely challenging for renters and homebuyers to find a home they can afford. The causes of our deficit in housing supply are varied. From rising materials costs to construction labor shortages, the number of housing units for individuals and families has not kept up with demand. Housing New Mexico has reported that by 2035, Bernalillo County will need 28,000 housing units and 4,900 of those should be affordable to owners with incomes 30% below Area Median Income.
The most visible and tragic sign of this housing shortage is the growing number of unhoused individuals and families we see on our streets, parks, and open spaces. A recent report by the New Mexico Department of Health found that Bernalillo County had 18,000 individuals experiencing homelessness between 2019 and 2023. This means 60% of the State’s unhoused population are in Bernalillo County.
Federal housing funding has historically been a key part of efforts to address affordable housing. However, that may be changing. The unpredictable political and policy environment at the federal level has made it more important than ever that we have a deeper level of collaboration between city, county and state governments. That’s why Bernalillo County together with the City of Albuquerque created the Middle Rio Grande Housing Collaborative in February of 2023. City, county, and state leaders joined forces in the most recent legislative session to secure sorely needed funding to expand housing access in the region. Because of this collaboration, state leaders have allocated $150 million statewide for housing including supportive, affordable, and transitional housing, as well as housing services.
We want to put that state funding to work as soon as possible. That’s why on June 10 the Bernalillo County Commission launched an ambitious housing implementation plan. The “BernCo Builds Communities” initiative proposes new construction of new affordable housing, preservation and expansion of current affordable housing, purchase of available properties for improvement, community revitalization and conversion to transitional housing, and infrastructure expenditures to allow for new affordable housing opportunities. If fully funded, these projects will house approximately 2,800 individuals including children, families, and seniors.
To confront this crisis, we need all hands-on deck, including community members, to work with us and provide their ideas, strength, and support for the BernCo Builds Communities initiative. We can meet the challenge in a thoughtful and inclusive way that brings us together rather than pulling us apart. It is possible to improve the lives of our unhoused neighbors while improving and revitalizing our neighborhoods and our broader community. These two objectives do not have to be in competition.
I have an abiding faith that together we can meet this moment and deliver the housing our neighbors and residents deserve. I hope you will join us.