A new report centered on the homeless crisis in New Mexico shows that many of those living on the streets are from outside of the state.
The updated report by the New Mexico Coalition to end Homeless showed the number of homeless has grown to more than 2,800 with an estimated 600 coming from outside of the state, a Monday KRQE report said. New Mexico Coalition to end Homelessness spokesperson Alexandra Paisano noted that a connection to friends and family often draw people to the area.
“We do see a number of people that come here because they have family or friends here and they think they think they can get help here and it takes so long they kind of burn bridges and it so it doesn’t end up working out,” Paisano told KRQE. “We’ve had some people tell us that they were given a bus ticket and sent here and told that it would be much easier for them to obtain housing in Albuquerque. A lot of people tend to come to Albuquerque when they experience homelessness in the rural community just because there is a lack of services there.”
The latest data showed a significant increase in the city’s homelessness since January when volunteers conducted a Point in Time Count that showed an estimated 1,300 people were living on the streets. The updated count from the Homeless Management Information System is alarming considering the doubling of the number. These point-in-time counts have been collected annually as required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“We have an overwhelming amount of people, specifically families, which has really increased,” Paisano said.
Paisano noted that many aspects lead to homelessness—including debt, domestic violence, aging out of foster care, and not being able to afford rent. She added that having an array of affordable housing options is a solution to helping end homelessness.
