For the last 8 years, Mayor Tim Keller has taken an aggressive approach to trying to address homelessness, behavioral health, and addiction treatment. Over the past four years, the Keller Administration has taken steps to build a network of support shelters for the unhoused called the Gateway Network System. The City is providing shelter and services to more than 1,000 men, women, and children nightly through the Gateway Network, with more programs and services coming online this year.
The Gateway Network consists of 5 shelters costing a staggering $300 Million dollars spent over the last 4 years to assist upwards of 3,000 to 5,000 unhoused. The City has become the statewide de facto provider of services to the homeless for all communities in New Mexico. The problem is that the City and the State’s unhoused numbers are getting worse and not better after spending millions.
STATE DEDICATES FUNDING
During the 2024 and the 2025 legislative sessions, the New Mexico Legislature dedicated more than $300 million to various housing-related measures to different agencies, including revolving loans for builders, down-payment assistance and anti-homelessness programs. The figure includes $140 million lawmakers approved this session.
The Legislature specifically earmarked $110 million in this year’s $10.8 billion budget bill for homelessness assistance programs and affordable housing statewide. That came after lawmakers appropriated more than $20 million for such programs in the previous year. $83 Million of the $140 Million lawmakers approved in the 2025 legislative session is earmarked for projects in the Albuquerque area for the unhoused and housing.
On August 26, City, Bernalillo County and State Officials held a press conference to announce that $60 million of the $80 million will be allocated for homelessness and housing projects in Albuquerque. The $80 Million will be dedicated to trying to get 1,000 unhoused people off the streets by July, 2026.
The roughly $80 million will fund 10 projects in Albuquerque, including seven affordable housing developments and expansions to homelessness facilities and programs. Of the millions in funding, 23% will benefit homelessness projects, including prevention, and 77% will go toward housing.
CITY COUNCIL APPROPRIATES MILLIONS FOR SERVICE CONTRACTS
On September 3, the Albuquerque City Council approved two contracts for women’s and men’s services each worth $3.6 million a year on a 7-2 vote with Republican City Councilor Dan Champine and Democrat City Councilor Louie Sanchez voting no. A separate $2.3 million contract to open a 41-bed shelter for young adults won unanimous support.
The approval to spend the million in funds was given reluctantly by some councilors who have called the Gateway system inefficient. Council President Brook Bassan of District 4 in northern Albuquerque said this:
“I am not a fan of the Gateways, but we have them, so let’s make them work, …The state wants to give us money. I really hope that we put it to good use and that we actually truly help people in need.”
SHELTER BEDS AVAILABLE
The last time the Gateway System of shelters was expanded was in 2023 when the first 50 women’s shelter beds opened at the Housing Navigation Center. The approved contract funding will be used to add 141 more beds to the Gateway system of 5 homeless shelters. According to the city there are currently 1,176 shelter beds in Albuquerque, 807 of which are at Gateway shelters. The new contracts will boost bed capacity for both women and men. The young adult shelter will convert a former hotel into housing for 18 to 25-year-olds, many of whom aged out of foster care. The 140 new shelter beds will serve a population of 2,740 homeless residents that includes people sent from communities across the state.
$3.6 million in funding will be used for operating the Housing Navigation Shelter at the Gateway Center at Gibson and San Mateo SE. Most of the funds will go to staffing, which includes intake specialists, housing support specialists, community outreach personnel and shuttle bus drivers. The funds will also pay for contracted services like security and cleaning, as well as physical supplies.
According to government officials, in Bernalillo County many of the people living on the streets are young, including an estimated 1,200 to 2,300 people between the ages of 15 and 25, according to a 2022 needs assessment. Many of those young people are fleeing domestic violence at home or have aged out of the foster care system, according to the assessment.
The City Council also unanimously approved a $2.3 million operating contract with Youth Development Inc., the operator of a young adult housing program that will house 41 people aged 18-25 who are experiencing homelessness. YDI currently runs the city’s Gateway Family shelter. Gateway Young Adult Shelter will be located at the former La Quinta hotel at San Mateo and Cutler that is currently being renovated. The per-bed operation cost for the youth shelter is more than $56,000.
The expanded shelters will offer case management as well as treatment for mental health and addiction, with the ultimate goal of transitioning people into more stable living situations. The new beds are expected to be made available in the coming months after the operators recruit and train staff.
The City Council delayed a separate $21.8 million state funding package until September 15. The new funding carries strict oversight rules by the state. City rules require two hearings for funding.
Health, Housing and Homelessness Director Gilbert Ramirez said this of the funding:
“Through this vital funding, we can connect more people to life-changing treatment and services. … Thank you to the state for injecting funding into programming that offers safe, dignified spaces where people can begin their journey to stability.”
CONTRACT DEFERRED BY CITY COUNCIL
On September 3, the City Council deferred $21.8 million in state funding until September 15 (Resolution R-25-188). It was Republican Council President Brook Bassan who moved to defer the measure, noting that appropriation bills require two public hearings under city rules. The delay gives the public more time to review the accountability measures before the September 15 vote.
The measure comes with oversight requirements that Republican City Councilor Dan Lewis called “unusual” and evidence of the state’s “lack of confidence” in city performance. The funding agreement requires weekly reports starting two weeks after approval, monthly payment requests with detailed documentation and operational plans for all funded programs. The city must also submit sustainability plans by December to show how services will continue when state money runs out.
City Council Dan Lewis said this of the extensive reporting requirements:
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this. … My only assumption is that the governor, this cabinet secretary, are probably not real confident that this money is going to be used wisely if there weren’t a pretty heavy amount of requirements attached to it.”
State officials have pushed for the monitoring to ensure Albuquerque’s homeless programs are effective before approving more funding.
Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel said the city can meet the state’s demands. She said the administration “worked carefully” with state officials and “feel absolutely confident that we can report this information.”
The two city council approved Gateway contracts fund $9.17 million in annual operations, $3.6 million each for expanded men’s and women’s services and nearly $2 million for a new young adult shelter. If approved, the deferred R-25-188 would provide an additional $13.5 million for operations and $8.3 million for capital improvements and property acquisition.
Since buying the Gateway Center in 2019 for $15 million, which is the former Lovelace Hospital and Medical center on Gibson, the city has spent at least $70 million and counting to remodel the facility for a 24-7 shelter that also provides other counseling and medical services. The facility is riddled with asbestos which spiked the remodeling costs and delayed the opening of the facility by a year.
Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:
https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_42aba680-62c4-4228-95a2-da72df1a34e1.html
CITY IS DE FACTO HOMELESS SERVICE HUB TO COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT STATE
On September 3, after voting to approve the contracts, Democrat City Councilor Joaquín Baca said this:
“It’s really well known at this point. A lot of the small towns send their unhoused populations here; we have the services they don’t. …. I think we should get annual appropriations from the state, [because] we’re helping them. How much? That’s an open question. … We should get annual appropriations from the state like they should be. We’re helping them, right?”
The financial strain of serving as the state’s homeless service hub is drawing attention from state lawmakers. In a May 30 letter to Mayor Tim Keller, State Rep. Nicole Chavez (R-Albuquerque) said the city receives a disproportionate share of state homeless funding because of “the concentration of need in the city.”
Representative Chavez noted that the New Mexico legislature allocated nearly $25 million for homeless initiatives this fiscal year, with $19.7 million for statewide programs and $5 million for local projects. “It is reasonable to assume a significant portion will be directed towards Albuquerque” she wrote.
Chavez also raised concern that “despite these substantial investments … the number of individuals living on the streets in Albuquerque continues to rise” and she requested a detailed accounting of the city’s homeless programs.
CITY AND STATE UNHOUSED NUMBERS
The Point-In-Time (PIT) count is the annual process of identifying and counting individuals and families experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness within a community on a single night in January, as defined by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD). HUD requires any community receiving funding from Federal homeless assistance grants to conduct the biennial counts.
The 2024 Point In Time Survey provides a comprehensive breakdown of the unhoused in Albuquerque and in the balance of the state. The link to review the entire 62 page 2024 PIT report is here:
Click to access ad7ad8_4e2a2906787e4ca19853b9c7945a4dc9.pdf
ALBUQUERQUE UNSHELTERED DATA BREAKDOWN
The 2024 Point In Time raw data breakdown of Albuquerque’s homeless is as follows:
HOUSEHOLDS COUNTED IN ALBUQUERQUE
The total count of HOUSEHOLDS experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque on January 29, 2024 was 2,248. (Households include those with or without children or only children.) The breakdown is as follows:
- Emergency Shelters: 1,018
- Transitional Housing: 174
- Unsheltered: 1,056
TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS: 2,248
PERSONS COUNTED IN ALBUQUERQUE
The total count of PERSONS experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque on was 2,740 broken down in 3 categories.
- Emergency Shelters: 1,289
- Transitional Housing: 220
- Unsheltered: 1,231
TOTAL PERSONS: 2,740
ALBUQUERQUE’S 2009 TO 2024 STATISTICS
Total number of PEOPLE counted during the Albuquerque Point-in-Time counts from 2009 to 2024 to establish a graphic trend line for the period are as follows:
- 2009: 2,002
- 2011: 1,639
- 2013: 1,171
- 2015: 1,287
- 2017: 1,318
- 2019: 1,524
- 2021: 1,567
- 2022: 1,311
- 2023: 2,394
- 2024: 2,740
The 2024 Point In Time homeless survey found an 18% increase in Albuquerque’s homeless numbers. The PIT survey identified 2,740 people experiencing homelessness, including 1,231 on the streets, 1,289 in emergency shelters and 220 in transitional housing. The HHH Department’s fiscal year 2026 budget performance measures report emergency unsheltered as 6,103 in 2023, 7,420 in 2024, 7,257 targeted in 2025 and 8,439 targeted in 2026.
BALANCE OF STATE UNSHELTERED DATA BREAKDOWN
The 2024 PIT survey provides the estimated number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the Balance of State. (Households include those with or without children or only children.)
HOUSEHOLDS COUNTED IN BALANCE OF THE STATE
The total count of HOUSEHOLDS experiencing homelessness in the Balance of State on January 29, 2024 was 1,547 broken down as follows:
- Emergency Shelters: 587
- Transitional Housing: 76
- Unsheltered: 884
TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS: 1,547
INDIVIDUALS COUNTED IN BALANCE OF STATE
The total count of PERSONS experiencing homelessness in the Balance of the State on January 29, 2024, was 1,909 broken down as follows:
- Emergency Shelters: 746
- Transitional Housing: 156
- Unsheltered: 1,011
TOTAL PERSONS: 1,909
BALANCE OF THE STATE 2009 TO 2023 STATISTICS
Following are the number of unsheltered people counted in the BALANCE OF THE STATE for the odd number years 2009-2023 and 2024 to establish a graphic trend line:
- 2009: 1,473
- 2011: 1,962
- 2013: 1,648
- 2015: 1,342
- 2017: 1,164
- 2019: 1,717
- 2021: 1,180
- 2022: 1,283
- 2023: 1,448
- 2024: 1,907
GATEWAY NETWORK OF FIVE SHELTERS
Mayor Tim Keller and the City of Albuquerque have created what is called the Gateway Network of support for people struggling with homelessness and addiction. The network consists of the following:
- Gateway Center– Campus providing medical, behavioral, and social services including overnight beds, first responder intake, medical sobering and respite.
- Gateway West – Safe, supportive 660-bed facility for individuals experiencing homelessness, offering specialized resources and case management. (Annual Impact: 5,700 Individuals. Open 24/7 Since 2019)
- Gateway Family – Supportive housing center for families with overnight beds, meals, and case management to help achieve stable housing. (Annual Impact: 987 Individuals Open Since 2020.
- Gateway Recovery– 50-resident micro-community offering low-barrier beds, recovery services, and support for 18 – 24 months. Annual projected Impact: 50 – 100. Opening Early 2025
- Gateway Young Adult – Housing and support for young adults ages 15-25 experiencing homelessness, tailored to their unique needs. (Annual projected Impact: 120 Individuals. Opening Late 2025.)
The Gateway Center Houses Critical Services And Seven Tenants.
The services provided are:
- First Responder Receiving Area – 20 people/night
- Medical Sobering Center – 50 people/night
- Medical Respite Center – 50 people/night
- Women’s Navigation Center – 50 people/night plus additional 50 coming on line
- Men’s Navigation Center – 92 people/night with the beds coming on line
- Engagement Center – providing connection/access services to more than 1,000 people per year
The Tenants are:
- Turquoise Lodge Behavioral Hospital
- Haven Behavioral Hospital
- Ideal Option Substance Use Disorder Treatment
- AMG Hospital
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Vizionz-Sankofa Resource Center
- Albuquerque Community Safety – Trauma Recovery Center
The two biggest shelters are the Gibson Gateway and the Gateway West. The Loveless Gibson Medical Center was purchased for $15 million, and the city has spent upwards of $90 million to renovate it. Gateway West provides 450 beds and Gibson Gateway when remodeling is completed is intended to assist upwards of 1,000 homeless and accommodate at least 330 nightly.
CITY’S FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO HOMELESS
In the last three years, the city has spent upwards of $300 million on homeless shelters, programs and purchasing and remodeling motels for low-income housing. In 2021, the city acquired the Lovelace Hospital complex on Gibson for $15 million and has spent upwards of $90 million to remodel it into the Gateway shelter.
In fiscal year 2021-2022, the Family Community Services Department spent $35 million on homeless initiatives. In fiscal year 2022-2023 the department spent another $59 million on homeless initiatives. On June 23, 2022, Keller announced that the city was adding $48 million to the fiscal year 2023 budget to address housing and homelessness issues in Albuquerque.
The fiscal year 2026 approved General Fund budget for the Health, Housing and Homelessness Department is $53.3 million. The sum includes $48 million for strategic support, health and human services, affordable housing, mental health services, emergency shelter services, homeless support services, shelter operations, substance abuse services and $4.2 million for the Gibson Gateway maintenance division.
The fiscal year 2026 approved General Fund budget contains funding for 116 separate services contracts totaling $53.7 million to pay for services provided to the unhoused:
- $30.4 million for 32 affordable housing contracts.
- $6.3 million for 12 emergency shelter contracts.
- $2 million for 16 health and human service contracts.
- $5.7 million for 29 homeless support service contracts.
- $3.8 million for five Gateway Shelter operating contracts.
- $2.2 million for 11 mental health service contracts.
- $2.6 million for 11 substance abuse treatment contracts.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
What sticks out is the staggering amount of money of $300 Million already spent and upwards of $60 Million a year being spent to try and provide assistance to so few, estimated to be between 3,000 to 5,000 unhoused, with upwards of 75% refusing services. There has got to a better way than just throwing money at the problem. There must be far more oversight by the City Council than just rubber stamping what Mayor Keller asks for and wants.
The blunt reality is Albuquerque is now New Mexico’s hub for homeless service referrals throughout the state thanks to Mayor Keller’s 5 shelters and Albuquerque City Council acquiescence. The City is managing the homeless who are from far beyond the city’s borders. The problem is that the City and the State’s unhoused numbers are getting worse and not better after spending millions.
A 2025 report by the city found 30% of individuals experiencing homelessness self report having a serious mental illness, 25% self report having a substance use disorder and around 66% experience some form of mental health condition. The biggest problem is that upwards of 75% of the chronic, emergency unhoused simply refuse city services, yet the city continues with spending millions a year to benefit few. Civil mental health commitment hearings are likely in order for those unhoused who are a danger to themselves or others in order to get them into a hospital setting and get them the mental health treatment or counseling they need and get them off the streets, but Mayor Keller is reluctant to do that preferring a more subdued approach.
Mayor Tim Keller has taken an “all the above approach” to deal with the city’s unhoused and the approach is a failure. Keller has allowed the unhoused to proliferate city streets, parks and open spaces declining to enforce city and state vagrancy laws and make arrests. The problem is the chronic unhoused refuse to accept city services as Keller continues to throw city resources at the crisis. Mayor Tim Keller has essentially proclaimed the unhoused as “wards of the city.” Mayor Keller’s approach is not sustainable. Such responsibility must be undertaken by the state or federal government.
The millions spent to help the unhoused with many refusing services would have gone a long way to finance community centers, senior citizen centers, police and fire substations, preschool or after school programs, senior citizen programs, and police and fire programs. Mayor Keller is throwing millions at temporary shelter as he fails to make a dent on the underlying causes of crime, mental health and drug addiction.
Given the numbers in the 2024 PIT report and the millions being spent on the homeless crisis it should be manageable. Yet the crisis only gets worse and worse each year and it is a continuing major drain on city resources. During the past few years, the unhoused have become far more dispersed throughout the city thanks to Mayor Tim Keller. The unhoused are more aggressive, camping where they want and for how long as they want.
Unhoused who have no interest in any offers of shelter, beds, motel vouchers or alternatives to living on the street force the city to make it totally inconvenient for them to “squat” anywhere they want and must force them to move on. After repeated attempts to reason with them to move on, citations and arrests are in order. Until the problem is solved, the public perception will be that very little to no progress has been made despite millions spent to deal with what Keller proclaims as the “challenge of our lifetime.”
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