At least two senior officials who raised concerns about the city’s mishandling of asbestos exposure during the construction of the Gibson Health Hub were threatened with reassignment and then quietly placed on sick leave. Both officials were made unavailable to answer questions from the city council and others about the administration’s actions that resulted in […]
Housing & Homelessness
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness, Local Gov.
City charter changes could create chaos
Proposed changes to the city’s charter have stirred up an old-time controversy. Several Albuquerque city councilors are asking for a slew of changes to the city’s charter that would go to the voters. The stack of charter amendment proposals will be debated at their May 20 regular meeting. If approved, the changes will go to […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness, Local Gov., Syndicated
Albuquerque Is Throwing Out the Belongings of Homeless People, Violating City Policy
This story is published in partnership with ProPublica as a part of our commitment to bringing you the best in independent news coverage that matters to Albuquerque. By Nicole Santa Cruz | ProPublica ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power, co-published this story with New Mexico in Depth. On a recent morning, Christian Smith ran […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness, Local Gov.
200 seniors, 90 veterans housed at Westside shelter — some for years
The city’s Westside Emergency Housing Center (WEHC) is home to about 200 seniors and 90 veterans seeking shelter among hundreds more who are experiencing homelessness. While the number who sleep there fluctuates throughout the year, during the winter months officials say it’s not uncommon to reach its capacity of 600. City officials and advocates for […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness
Race is on to improve International District’s ‘pharmacy desert’
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series examining a lack of pharmacies plaguing Albuquerque’s International District. The first story, “International District has become an urban ‘pharmacy desert,’” can be accessed here. Grabbing a prescription is likely taken a bit for granted by the average Albuquerque resident. There are pharmacy choices, it seems, at […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness, Local Gov.
Anatomy of an encampment
A private dirt lot located one block north of East Central Avenue in Albuquerque’s International District recently saw a swell of activity from an illegal encampment. About 50 people experiencing homelessness were living on the site that functioned as a makeshift community. There was considerable trash on the street and reports of burglary, vandalism, public […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness
International District has become an urban ‘pharmacy desert’
Not that long ago there were three large commercial pharmacies located within the boundaries of Albuquerque’s International District — Walmart, CVS and Walgreens — including a small independent one, Phil’s Pills. Today, only Phil’s Pills remains. The effect for residents seeking to fill prescriptions has become a problem with potentially dire consequences. “For some folks, […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness, Local Gov.
Heading Home will no longer run Westside shelter; city hasn’t found new operator
The embattled Westside Emergency Housing Center (WEHC) took another hit this month after the city was unable to find an operator to run it starting July 1. Two organizations applied for a $4.1 million annual contract, but officials said their proposals were “unsatisfactory, incomplete and ineligible.” Operator Albuquerque Heading Home, whose current three-year contract expires […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness, Local Gov.
City Council hears from the public — and some stuffed animals — at Monday meeting
A packed chamber greeted the Albuquerque City Council for a five-hour meeting May 6 where the council spent some money, approved getting some grant money and heard heartfelt public comments about immigration policies in the city. Standing Room Only More than a dozen residents turned out to voice their concerns about a proposed amendment that […]
Posted inEducation, Housing & Homelessness, Local Gov.
County says detox clients increasingly younger, on fentanyl
Activity at the entrance of Bernalillo County’s detoxification center in Albuquerque picks up around 6 pm on most nights but that doesn’t mean the CARE Campus isn’t buzzing at other hours of the day. “In the last year we’ve seen a lot of individuals just looking for a place to be, and that usually happens […]