The City of Albuquerque has fast-tracked and approved an application for a sanctioned tent encampment for the homeless to be located within the historic Santa Barbara Martineztown Neighborhood at 1250 Menaul. Locals have decried the planning and approval as "underhanded" and "with total disregard for the neighborhood."
According to the City of Albuquerque, an application for a homeless tent encampment to be located within the historic Santa Barbara Martineztown Neighborhood at 1250 Menaul has been approved.
"The Mayor and councilors pushing the problem off to developers calling themselves volunteers. This was underhanded and unplanned with total disregard for the neighborhood and surrounding schools," Gilbert Speakman, a member of the community, said.
The Santa Barbara Martineztown Neighborhood Association (SBMTNA) as well as surrounding businesses and residents were not notified by the city or by the applicant Dawn Legacy Pointe. The New Mexico Sun previously reported SBMTNA's opposition and outrage.
"Seems like the city has known what they were going to do here for awhile," said Loretta Naranja Lopez, president of the Santa Barbara Martineztown Neighborhood Association. "The city also knows the impact of homeless encampments next to neighborhoods, and to not involve us from the beginning is incredibly discouraging. Failing to have us at the table, especially when they know how dangerous these encampments are, shows a complete lack of regard for the welfare and safety of our community. They can call it 'safe' all they want, but we’re not safe and experience has shown us that."
Within a day of receiving an application for a sanctioned homeless encampment at 1250 Menaul from Dawn Legacy Pointe, Family and Community Services Director Carol Pierce told the Albuquerque Journal the city plans to help cover the operating costs.