This is an in-depth report on the unhoused numbers in Albuquerque, APD’s  and the Courts response and the City’s financial commitment to the unhoused crisis.  It explores a viable solution to get the unhoused off the streets to provide them with the mental health and drug addiction treatment they need short of jail to get them off the streets.

PROREPUBLIC ARTICLE ON JAILING OF UNHOUSED

On March 4, ProRepublica, online and  non-profit investigative journalism organization,  published an investigative report entitled “Albuqurquerque’s Mayor Said Arrrests Were “Not the Solution” to Homeless. Yet Bookings Have Skyrocketed”. The article was written by ProRepublica reporters Nicole Santa Cruz and Ruth Talbot. The link to read the full unedited article is here: 

Albuquerque’s Mayor Said Arrests Were “Not the Solution” to Homelessness. Yet Jail Bookings Have Skyrocketed.

The report reveals statistics on the arrest and jailing of the unhoused by the Mayor Keller Administration since he was first elected in 2017. Following are quoted portions of the article providing the statistics with edits for brevity:

During his reelection campaign last fall [Mayor Tim Keller] …  criticized challenger [former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White] for suggesting the city should get tougher on the homeless population. [White boldly proclaimed: “When I’m elected, the homeless tent cities will come down on day one.”]  Keller said during a televised debate with White … that such an approach would be cruel and the city clears encampments and gives people citations “all the time…[but] this problem is complex and you cannot dumb it down to arresting people. … You simply cannot arrest your way out of this problem whether you want to or not.”

Despite his rhetoric, a ProPublica analysis found that under Keller’s leadership, Albuquerque has increasingly criminalized conduct associated with homelessness, causing a growing number of people on the streets to be arrested and jailed.

In 2025, people were charged 1,256 times for obstructing sidewalks, nearly six times the number of cases in the previous eight years combined. More than 3,000 trespassing charges were handed out last year, the highest for any year since 2017. And cases of unlawful camping increased to 704 from 113 the year before, according to previously unreported county data provided to ProPublica by the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts.

In recent years, a majority of these cases, once they were adjudicated, were dismissed. But not without consequences: Each citation lists a court date, which, if missed, can lead to a bench warrant and arrest. … And that’s often what has happened.

Over the past four years, the number of bookings in Bernalillo County’s jail classified as homeless or “transient” has skyrocketed — to nearly 12,000 in 2025, from 3,670 in 2022. In recent months, the share of people booked who are transient made up about 49% of the jail’s population… .  This has occurred as the average daily population at the jail from July 2024 through June 2025 reached its highest point in a decade. On some days last year, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center held more homeless people than the largest local shelter.

The city’s homeless population has more than doubled from 2022 to 2025, while the increase in homeless people jailed by the county has more than tripled during the same time period. Police and court records and interviews with homeless people show the increase in their incarceration is primarily driven by the cascading effects of repeatedly citing people who are experiencing homelessness.

In an interview with ProPublica, Keller echoed his contention from the debate that citations and arrests are not a solution to homelessness. Still, he defended the actions police have taken. [Keller said this]:  “What we’re doing is following the letter of the law. There are much more punitive things that I’m sure a lot of people would want, that we don’t do because they’re inappropriate.” 

In a statement, a spokesperson for Keller [said] the city issues three citations before an arrest is made. … When ProPublica pointed out that citations can lead to arrests and jail time, Keller acknowledged that jail “is not the solution.” But, he said, people call the city and ask that laws be enforced.

In recent years, U.S. cities, facing record numbers of people on the street, have adopted more laws targeting them. In 2024, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities may enforce bans against sleeping outside, more than 150 municipalities nationwide, including Albuquerque, either passed new laws prohibiting public camping or ramped up enforcement of existing laws. … .

The emphasis on enforcement has come despite evidence that such citations and arrests are costly. For example, Bernalillo County spends about $169 per night to jail inmates without significant medical or mental health needs, according to a county spokesperson. The cost increases for people with severe medical ($250 a day) and mental health (about $450 a day) needs,  … .  By comparison, housing an individual in the city’s year-round emergency shelter costs $44 a night.

Tony Robinson, a political science professor at the University of Colorado who has studied camping bans, said the share of homeless inmates in Bernalillo County’s jail is “unusually high” — even at a time when cities are ramping up enforcement. ProPublica found that jails in similarly sized counties, including San Francisco and Pasco County, Florida, have lower rates of incarceration for people who are marked homeless.

Citing people who are homeless can land them in jail because some lack cellphones or an address where they can receive notices by mail. This is a barrier to appearing in court, leading to a warrant for their arrest, he said. “Simple citations lead to jail time and arrest by a predictable path.”  … .

Since Keller took office [eight] years ago, Albuquerque has spent at least $100 million to expand the city’s Gateway system, which includes shelter for families and adults, a 50-person treatment program, and a place where people are supervised by medical professionals as they withdraw from drugs or alcohol.

[Keller said this:] “We’re one of the few cities who really has been proactive about building a new system. … It needs tons of work and tons of help, but we’ve at least built something that has gotten 1,000 people off the street.”

Meanwhile, the city’s homeless population, which was at least 2,960 last year, exceeds the shelters’ capacity even with the expansions. Keller has also become less tolerant of encampments in public spaces like parks and sidewalks, vowing to not allow “tent cities.”  … .

City statistics show … that the biggest jump in arrests from 2024 to 2025 was for misdemeanor warrants … .  Arrests associated with misdemeanor warrants were up 72%.

… .”

The link to read the full and  unedited ProRepublica  article with photos is here:

https://www.propublica.org/article/albuquerque-homelessness-citations-surge-tim-keller

THE UNHOUSED CRISIS IN ALBUQUERQUE 

On November 17, 2025  the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness released the  most recent 2025 Point-In-Time (PIT) Report for the numbers of unhoused in Albuquerque. The PIT survey  found that at least 2,960 people in Albuquerque called the streets or an emergency shelter their home with nowhere else to go. Of that number, 1,367 people were completely unsheltered with no roof over their heads, living on the streets or in emergency shelters. The 2025 PIT report revealed an 8% increase in homelessness going from 2,740 in 2024 to 2,960 in 2025, an increase of 220 people.

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 upwards of  66% experience some form of mental health condition. A report by the New Mexico Justice Reinvestment Working Group found that 65% of individuals who enter the state’s criminal justice system have behavioral health needs and the criminal justice system cannot provide necessary medical  treatment and facilities. A major  problem is that approximately 75% of the chronic, emergency unhoused simply refuse city services, yet the city continues spending  millions a year to benefit  so few that need assistance.

CITY’S FINANCIAL COMITMENT TO UNHOUSE

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.  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.

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_42aba680-62c4-4228-95a2-da72df1a34e1.html

https://citydesk.org/2025/09/10/albuquerque-becomes-new-mexicos-homeless-hub-as-gateway-contracts-add-100-beds/?mc_cid=b9e7b25ad7&mc_eid=001367acf1 

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 New Mexico’s de facto “homeless capitol”  providing shelter and services to the homeless for all communities throughout New Mexico. The problem is that the City and the State’s unhoused numbers are getting worse and not any better after spending millions.

The Gateway Network of support for people struggling with homelessness and drug and substance addiction consists of the following:

1. Gateway Center– (Located on Gibson.) Campus providing medical, behavioral, and social services including overnight beds, first responder intake, medical sobering and respite. Old Lovelace Hospital city purchased for $15 million costing $95 million to remodel into shelter and supposedly providing  assistance to upwards of 1,000 unhoused per month.
2. 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)
3. 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.
4. 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
5. Gateway Young Adult – Housing and support for young adults ages 15-25 experiencing homelessness, tailored to their unique needs. Annual projected Impact: 120 Individuals. Opened March, 2026.

STATUTES AND ORDINANCES ENUMERATED

New Mexico Statutes and City Ordinances have been enacted that are relied upon to deal with unlawful camping and trespass and are used to deal with the unhoused. All the laws have been on the books for decades and are applicable and are enforced against all citizens and not just the unhoused.

The specific statutes are:

1. NMSA 1978, Section 30-14-1 (1995), defining criminal trespass on public and private property.
2. NMSA 1978, Section 30-14-4 (1969), defining wrongful use of property used for a public purpose and owned by the state, its subdivisions, and any religious, charitable, educational, or recreational association.
3. Albuquerque City Ordinance 12-2-3, defining criminal trespass on public and private property.
4. Albuquerque City Ordinance 8-2-7-13, prohibiting the placement of items on a sidewalk so as to restrict its free use by pedestrians.
5. Albuquerque City Ordinance 10-1-1-10, prohibiting being in a park at nighttime when it is closed to public use.
6. Albuquerque City Ordinance 12-2-7, prohibiting hindering persons passing along any street, sidewalk, or public way.
7. Albuquerque City Ordinance 5-8-6, prohibiting camping on open space lands and regional preserves.
8. Albuquerque City Ordinance 10-1-1-3, prohibiting the erection of structures in city parks.

MCCLENDON V. CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE

All the above laws are classified as “non-violent crimes” and are misdemeanors. The filing of criminal charges by law enforcement are discretionary when the crime occurs in their presence. In 1995 the  federal  class action lawsuit of McClendon v. City of Albuquerque was filed to prevent severe  overcrowding  and to mandate  improving jail conditions with a Permanent Injunction issued against the City to prohibit jail overcrowding.

In 2017  the McClendon case led to a settlement agreement after the city was accused of conducting street sweeps of people whom APD had referred to as the “homeless mentally ill.” As part of a settlement, the City of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Police Department agreed that only citations will be issued and no arrests would be made for violations of the state statutes and city ordinances to reduce jail overcrowding.

In March 2025, the City of Albuquerque filed a Motion to Dismiss and be released from the McClendon case. The City  contends that the 10 requirements imposed by the settlement have been met and, in some instances, exceeded.  The Motion and the issue of the city’s compliance is now  before U.S. District Judge James Browning of Albuquerque, who now oversees the class-action lawsuit.  The Motion states in part:

“While the City intends to continue its programs designed to prevent unnecessary incarceration … it should be permitted to do so without judicial oversight, without remaining a defendant in a decades-long lawsuit, without the duty to pay attorney’s fees whenever Plaintiffs believe they have grounds to complain about the City’s actions  …”

Private attorney Ryan Villa, one of the Plaintiff attorneys in the case against the city contends the City of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Police Department have failed to live up to a 2017 agreement to remedy unconstitutional and unlawful practices affecting those living on the streets. Villa said this:  “In our view, the city is using Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC)  as a temporary homeless shelter.”

In a response to the Motion to Dismiss,  the plaintiffs’ attorneys contend the city has “turned back the clock” and resumed the “very same tactics” that led to the agreement. Villa in a  30-page response to the city’s motion wrote this:

“The City has significantly and openly increased criminal enforcement against nonviolent misdemeanants, particularly the unhoused and those with mental illness, and begun crowding the jail via the adoption of systematic practices and formal enforcement policies at odds with the Settlement Agreement terms and purpose. ”

The City’s Motion to Dismiss is still pending.

The link to the relied upon and quoted news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/attorneys-say-city-using-jail-as-homeless-shelter/3003486

CLOSURE OF CORONADO PARK AND ENSUING CLASS ACTION LAWSUITE

On June 27, 2022,  calling it “the most dangerous place in the state of New Mexico”, Mayor Tim Keller ordered the closure of Coronado Park. On  August 18, 2022, pursuant to Mayor Keller’s closure orders, the City of Albuquerque closed Coronado Park because it had become a de facto city sanctioned homeless encampment with the city evicting up to 100 unhoused who camped there nightly. The city cited numerous reasons for closure of the park including lack of sanitation posing severe health risks, overall damage to the park and extensive drug trafficking and violent crime, including rapes and murders at the park having reached crisis proportions. It was costing the city $54,308 a month to clean up the park only for the homeless encampment to return.

The city park had an extensive history lawlessness including drug use, violence, murder, rape and mental health issues. In 2020, there were 3 homicides at Coronado Park. In 2019, a disabled woman was raped, and in 2018 there was a murder at Coronado Park.  APD reported that it was dispatched to the park 651 times in 2021 and 312 times in 2022. There had been 16 stabbings at the park in 2 years.  In 2023, APD had seized from the park 4,500 fentanyl pills, more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine, 24 grams of heroin and 29 grams of cocaine. APD also found $10,000 in cash. All the seized drugs were tied to a single bust that occurred at a nearby motel, not the park, though an APD spokeswoman said the suspect was “mainly doing all their distributions [at the park].”

On December 19, 2022 the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, the NM Center on Law & Poverty, and the law firms of Ives & Flores, PA and Davis Law New Mexico filed a “Class Action Complaint For Violations of Civil Rights and for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief” against the City of Albuquerque on behalf 4 men and 4 women identified to be homeless. All 8, along with upwards of 100 unhoused, were evicted by the city from Coronado Park. Not one of the 8 plaintiffs allege they were charged nor arrested for refusing to leave Coronado Park on the day it was closed nor were they jailed. The lawsuit contends it is unconstitutional to punish or threaten to punish unhoused people for the “crime of being in an outdoor public space when there are inadequate indoor spaces for them to be.”

The Plaintiffs allege they were displaced from Coronado Park when the city closed it and that the city did not provide satisfactory shelter options to them. The city said it did give notice and offered shelter and services, including vouchers.  According to the ACLU the lawsuit was filed to stop the City of Albuquerque from destroying encampments of the unhoused all over the city and preventing the city from seizing and destroying personal property and jailing and fining people for being unhoused.

The lawsuit alleges the city unlawfully seized personal property, denied due process of law, and violated constitutional rights by destroying property and forced all the unhoused at Coronado Park out with nowhere for them to go and with the city not providing shelter for them. The lawsuit sought court orders that required the city to cease and desist enforcement actions to stop the unhoused from camping in public spaces which include public streets, public rights of ways, alleyways, under bridges and city parks unless the city has shelter or housing for them.

On March 18, 2024, State District Court Judge Joshua Allison ruled the landmark  United States Supreme Court case of  Grants Pass v. Johnson that gives cities the green light to enforce criminal laws against the homeless for living and sleeping outside on public property does NOT apply to the City of Albuquerque and it is “flawed.” 

The class-action lawsuit is pending and is expected to go to trial in September, 2026, unless it is settled.

US SUPREME COURT CASE GRANTS PASS V. JOHNSON

On June 28, 2024 the United State Supreme Court announced its ruling in the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson where the court held that local laws effectively criminalizing homelessness do not violate the U.S. Constitution and do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

The case challenged a municipality’s ability to bar people from sleeping or camping in public areas, such as sidewalks and parks. The case is strikingly similar in facts and circumstances and laws to the case filed against the City of Albuquerque over the closure of Coronado Park.

The case came from the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass, which appealed a ruling striking down local ordinances that fined people $295 for sleeping outside after tents began crowding public parks. The homeless plaintiffs argued that Grants Pass, a town with just one 138-bed overnight shelter,  criminalized them for behavior they couldn’t avoid: sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go.

Meanwhile, municipalities across the western United States argued that court rulings hampered their ability to quickly respond to public health and safety issues related to homeless encampments.  The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over the nine Western states, ruled in 2018 that such bans violate the Eighth Amendment in areas where there aren’t enough shelter beds.

The United States Supreme Court  considered whether cities can enforce laws and take action against or punish the unhoused for sleeping outside in public spaces when shelter space is lacking. The case is the most significant case heard by the high court in decades on the rights of the unhoused and comes as a rising number of people in the United States are without a permanent place to live.

In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the Supreme Court  reversed a ruling by a San Francisco-based appeals court that found outdoor sleeping bans amount to “cruel and unusual punishment” under the United States Constitution. The majority found that the 8th Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment does not extend to bans on outdoor sleeping in public places such as parks and streets.  The Supreme Court ruled  that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outdoors, even in West Coast areas where shelter space is lacking.

BERNALILLO COUNTY METROPOLITAN DIVERSION COURT

During the 2025 regular session of the New Mexico legislature, the legislature enacted what was referred to as the Omnibus Crime Package.  It included 6 bills, one of which is the criminal competency legislation. It specifically requires that competency evaluators determine whether defendants are dangerous to themselves or others. After a competency hearing, and if a defendant is found not to be competent, a judge  then decides whether the defendant poses a threat. Based on that determination, a defendant is either  ordered to attend an assisted outpatient treatment program or  sent to the state Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, New Mexico. During the October 2, 2025 Special Session of the New Mexico legislature the legislature enacted legislation which will allow the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court to determine competency which previously required district court involvement.

On January 6, 2026 the Metropolitan Court Diversion Court was launched. The new court redirects people with serious mental illness into treatment as an alternative to criminal prosecution for minor and nonviolent crimes. The new court  deals with people who previously have had criminal charges dismissed because they were found incompetent to stand trial. The criminal competency Diversion Court is the fifth such program statewide and is the first in the state’s largest county.

During the Special Session of the New Mexico legislature that ended on October 2, 2025, the legislature enacted legislation which allows the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court to determine competency which previously was only allowed by the State District Court.  A recent report by the New Mexico Justice Reinvestment Working Group found that 65% of individuals who enter the state’s criminal justice system have a behavioral health need and the criminal justice system cannot provide necessary medical treatment and facilities.

State lawmakers appropriated $293,000 a year for the Diversion Court which will pay for a program coordinator and two case managers, or navigators, to direct people to appropriate mental health and substance-abuse treatment and basic services such as housing. The funding also will pay for the program’s behavioral health service provider, Albuquerque-based A New Awakening.

The Diversion Court  provides people who are unhoused with the opportunity to resolve pending misdemeanor cases, outstanding warrants and unpaid fines, all of which can pose barriers to housing and employment opportunities and hinder progress toward self-sufficiency. The Diversion Court will be able to do more when it comes to the homeless who suffer from severe mental illness or who are drug addicted and are a danger to themselves and others.

Candidates for the program are people charged with misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, excluding those facing drunken-driving charges. The program comes at a time when encampment sweeps around Albuquerque have increased significantly and have  led to an increase in misdemeanor charges like unlawful camping and blocking the sidewalk. The program provides an alternative for a judge who otherwise would have little choice but to dismiss the charges.

In cases involving the unhoused or those with mental illness, misdemeanor citations often lead to jail stays down the line due to missed court hearings. According to a Bernalillo County jail population dashboard, just over 7,000 people were booked on misdemeanor charges in 2025. The competency diversion program is intended to guide people with severe mental illness into services that may include housing, medical needs and appropriate mental health or substance-use treatment.

The links to relied upon or quoted news sources are here:

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/new-pilot-program-aims-to-break-cycle-for-nonviolent-offenders/

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro-court-program-offers-new-treatment-options/2955055

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro-court-program-aims-to-treat-mentally-ill-defendants/2952594

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Being unhoused or being destitute are not crimes. Government, be it federal or local, have a moral obligation to help and assist the unhoused, especially those that are mentally ill or who are drug addicted. The City of Albuquerque is spending upwards of $60 million a year on homeless services with 120  service provider contracts including for two  emergency shelters, subsidized housing, food and medical care and drug counseling. The city under Mayor Keller has also spent upwards of $300 million to build or remodel 5 shelters. Notwithstanding all the money spent, the vast majority of the chronically unhoused refuse or decline city shelter, housing, services and financial help offered or simply say they are not satisfied with what is being offered by the city.

The unhoused are not above the law. They cannot be allowed to just ignore the law, illegally camp wherever they want for as long as they want and as they choose, when they totally reject all government housing or shelter assistance. The City has every right to enforce its laws on behalf of its citizens to preserve and protect the public health, safety and welfare of all its citizens. Unlawful encampment squatters who refuse city services and all alternatives to living on the street, who want to camp at city parks, on city streets in alleys and trespass in open space give the city no choice but to take action and force them to move on and perhaps even arrest for felonies found. Allowing the homeless to use, congregate and camp anywhere they want for as long as they want in violation of city laws and ordinances should never be considered as an option to deal with the homeless crisis given all the resources and  the millions being  spent  to assist the homeless.

Too many elected and government officials and civil rights advocates have a hard time dealing with the fact that many homeless adults simply want to live out  their life as they choose, camp where they want to for as long as they can get away with it, without any government nor family interference and especially no government rules and no regulations. No county and no municipality should ever be required to just simply ignore and to not enforce anti-camping ordinances, vagrancy laws, civil nuisance abatement laws and criminal laws designed to protect the general public’s health, safety and welfare of a community.

Squatters who have no interest in any offers of shelter, beds, motel vouchers or alternatives to living on the street really give the city no choice but to make it totally inconvenient for them to “squat” anywhere they want and force them to move on. After repeated attempts to force them to move on and citations, another option short of arrest and jail must be considered.

FORM SPECIALIZED UNIT TO INITIATE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITMENTS

It was very disingenuous  when  Mayor Tim Keller said when running for reelection in 2025 that “you simply cannot arrest your way out of this problem whether you want to or not”  when that is exactly what has happened during his 8 years in office as evidence by the dramatic spike in arrests and the jailing of the unhoused when there is a viable alternative.

It is likely that the Albuquerque Police Department and the city’s Community Safety Department know who the “frequent flyers” are and who need to be taken immediately off the streets because they pose and immediate threat to themselves and others. Both departments could and should assist the District Attorney or the City Attorney with civil mental health commitments of the unhoused and file civil mental commitment actions.

Under New Mexico statutes, the legislature has empowered  District Attorneys authority to initiate civil mental health commitments. The Bernalillo County District Attorney and the Albuquerque City Attorney’ office should form a specialized unit of at least four attorneys to deal exclusively with civil mental commitment actions in the Metropolitan Court’s new Diversion Court. The state or courts would  provide  funding for  the mental health services provided by the state through the Behavioral Health Trust Fund and  the Behavioral Health Reform Package.

The District Attorney should  cross deputized Assistant City Attorney’s, supported with para legals, to initiate mental health commitment proceedings to work in unison with the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office. Such an arrangement of cross deputization of Assistant City Attorney’s has occurred in the past with the City Attorney’s Metro Court Traffic Court arraignment program that processed at one time 60,000 cases per year negotiating plea agreements. Under the process, citations are issued by sworn police and dates for arraignments by the court are immediately scheduled in the citations. The arraignment dates could be the initial step to begin the process of civil mental health commitments.

It is understood the Gateway Shelter on Gibson, which is the former Lovelace Medical Center and Hospital, is still largely vacant and has upwards of 200 patient rooms that are vacant. The Gateway Shelter on Gibson should be utilized for referrals by the Metropolitan Court’s “Diversion Court” with the State providing mental health services to those committed for mental health and substance abuse treatment.

CONCLUSION

Arrest and jailing is not the solution to the unhoused crisis. The homeless crisis has not be reduced  by the city nor by Mayor Keller, but it can and must be managed. The management of the crisis is to provide support services, including food and lodging, and mental health care needed to allow the homeless to turn their lives around, become productive self-sufficient citizens, no longer dependent on relatives or others. With that said, Civil mental health commitments must be included as part of the solution to provide a viable alternative to jailing.