August 18, 2022
We, the undersigned, call for Mayor Tim Keller to veto the moratorium on safe outdoor spaces. In your June 23, 2022 announcement to invest in housing and homelessness additional funding was added to the budget for the Gibson Health Hub, the Wellness Hotel, and to fund a youth shelter. In this announcement, the Mayor stated “This new funding allows us to keep that going, but the work is not done. We need our partners, neighborhoods, and Council to continue to find solutions with us and these additions are a step in the right direction.” Stopping the creation of Safe Outdoor Spaces is not a step in the right direction, it is a step backward.
Since January 1, 2022, 1,491 households totaling 2,561 persons experiencing homelessness have completed a housing assessment and were entered into the Coordinated Entry System. This number grows each day. There are currently 7 shelters in Albuquerque; the Westside Emergency Housing Center, Hawthorne Wellness hotel, Albuquerque Opportunity Center, Joy Junction, Barrett House, Good Sheppard, and the Safe House Domestic Violence shelter. The current need for safe shelter is far greater than the capacity of the shelter system. We need to expand our emergency response system to meet the needs of our community. A step in the right direction is to allow safe outdoor spaces.
Safe outdoor spaces are a feasible and logical way to expand our response system. These spaces will not only provide basic human needs such as a safe place to sleep with 24/7 security, meals, access to clean bathrooms, and hand washing stations, but they will also provide on-site support services to help residents address barriers while transitioning into more permanent options. These safe outdoor spaces can help reduce the impact of homelessness within the community while also reducing the collection of hazardous items and debris in spaces created by unlawful campsites.
In the recent Point in Time Count conducted in January of 2022, people experiencing unsheltered homelessness were asked Why do you not use the shelter system? The most common answers were safety concerns, overcrowding, lack of transportation, pets are not allowed, worsening symptoms of PTSD and anxiety, and inability to meet the needs of those with certain disabilities such as those who are visually impaired. On average, people experience 713 days of homelessness before they are able to exit homelessness into housing. While people work to find housing and address their barriers, it is the duty of the city and homeless service providers to work together to offer a safe place to reside for those who are unable or unwilling to go to a shelter.
Alexandra Paisano, M.S.
Director of Albuquerque Coordinated Entry System
768-Help Homeless Helpline Supervisor
New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness
Tony Watkins, M.A.A.
Program Director for Homeless Assistance
