The New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee recently issued a report stating that the homeless crisis in New Mexico is deepening, as the homeless population increased 48%.
“New Mexico has performed relatively well in providing emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness compared with other states. However, the state faces ongoing challenges in addressing the root causes of homelessness and transitioning individuals and families to more stable, permanent housing,” said the Legislative Finance Committee Report on Homelessness and Affordable Housing.
According to the report issued May 23, the root cause of homelessness has been the rising cost of housing in New Mexico, as rent in the state of Mexico has increased 70% since 2017, while wages have grown only 15%.
The report also found that New Mexico’s emergency homeless shelter capacity has more than doubled since 2016, particularly in Albuquerque where the homeless population is most concentrated. In Albuquerque, about 20% of people in shelters or other temporary housing make the transition to permanent housing at only about half the rate of the rest of the state.
State lawmakers have appropriated $84 million this year for housing and homeless programs, but the report found that the root cause of homelessness goes beyond financial assistance.
On the same day this report was released, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham created a new housing council, by executive order, that will be led by former House Speaker Brian Egolf.
The number of homeless individuals has increased from roughly 2,600 to 4,000, which is concentrated largely in Albuquerque.
In the 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, in that same year, there were about 582,500 people experiencing homelessness in the United States, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Another statistic of note is that the federal government remains the largest source of funds for homelessness and affordable housing programs in New Mexico. The U.S. accounts for about 83% of the total $308 million in funding used for housing and homelessness programs.
Some lawmakers say the large number of local, state and federal agencies working on these programs have made it more difficult since the effort isn’t as streamlined. They think the creation of the new housing council agency will allow the state to take more control of the matter.