Posted inLocal Gov.

Money flows from county coffers

Bernalillo County has millions of dollars waiting for commissioners to spread around when they meet up on Tuesday Feb. 20, for their regular meeting. Commissioners will also hear reports from the University of New Mexico Hospital and from UNM Bureau of Business and Economic Research on the impact of the sprawling Santolina Development planned for […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness

Q&A: New housing director faces complex homelessness crisis

Gilbert Ramírez took the helm at the city’s Health, Housing & Homelessness (HHH) department Jan. 1, replacing outgoing director Carol Pierce. The position is a high profile one, as the city contends with a dual crisis of increased homelessness and lack of affordable housing. Roll-in additional complexities like mental health and addiction issues and Albuquerque, […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness

City Council OKs spotlight on blighted motels, voucher program

The Albuquerque City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Monday night that creates an 11-member working group tasked with reforming the city’s emergency voucher program and addressing the blighted motels where they are often used. Councilors Renée Grout and Nichole Rogers said they sponsored the bill because the city’s blighted motels not only pose a health […]

Who will be APD’s new watchdog?

Tackling the problem of revamping the city’s housing voucher program is set to be debated at Monday’s Albuquerque City Council meeting. Also on the government table is taking a look at selecting a director of the struggling Civilian Police Oversight Agency. CPOA Leader Albuquerque’s police oversight agency has been without a permanent executive director since […]

With smiles and surveys, volunteers count city’s homeless

Car trunks were packed with goodie bags filled with granola bars, gummy bears, crackers and bottles of water as teams of volunteers carpooled to different areas of the city this week. On day and night shifts, they walked sidewalks, cul-de-sacs, alleys, bike trails, arroyos and busy intersections. They looked under bridges, scanned perimeters of vacant […]