New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has announced a new lease agreement aimed at expanding affordable housing in East Las Cruces. The Mesa Vista development, located on state lands near Organ Mountain High School, will bring about 1,700 affordable housing units to the area as part of a larger project totaling around 4,300 units.
This initiative marks the first time the New Mexico State Land Office has required that residential developments on state land include both affordable and attainable housing options. Of the total units planned for Mesa Vista, 15% will be designated as affordable for families earning less than 80% of the local Area Median Income (AMI), while another 25% will be considered attainable for those with incomes between 80% and 120% of AMI. The remaining homes will be market-rate units intended for middle-income families.
The homes in Mesa Vista are planned to be all-electric, supporting Las Cruces’ sustainability objectives. According to the State Land Office, all-electric homes can increase energy efficiency, improve indoor air quality, and offer safer living conditions compared to gas-powered residences. This approach is also expected to lower construction costs and shorten development timelines by two to three months.
“New Mexico needs more housing, period. This new development on state lands will bring thousands of new housing units to the Las Cruces area. We know that access to decent housing provides a path to upward mobility. Projects like this one are exactly what we need to begin chipping away at the state’s ongoing housing shortage. Creating more affordable housing for New Mexicans has always been one of my top priorities. This is a major win for the entire state,” said Commissioner Garcia Richard. “By going all-electric, the developer is showing foresight that will save families real money in the long run. It’s both fiscally and environmentally responsible. This project is proof that the private and public sectors can work together to deliver for New Mexicans. I’ll keep looking for more opportunities to build more affordable housing on state lands.”
John Moscato of Sierra Norte Land Holdings, LLC highlighted collaboration among stakeholders: “Working with the State Land Office, the City of Las Cruces, housing advocates, and local homebuilders, the developer of Mesa Vista will build a community that combines a diversity of housing with open spaces, parks, and opportunities for commercial development,” he said. “Besides providing much-needed housing, Mesa Vista will be the catalyst for economic development and job growth for the region.”
The announcement comes as Las Cruces faces an estimated shortfall of about 5,600 rental units—a gap that projects like Mesa Vista aim to address.
Since taking office in 2019, Commissioner Garcia Richard has focused on using state trust land to help meet local housing demands across New Mexico. During her tenure so far, deals have been signed through which approximately 4,800 additional homes are being developed on these lands; about 1,900 qualify as affordable units.
Past partnerships include work with Sol Housing—a nonprofit dedicated to affordable residences—on projects such as Luminaria and Farolito near Central and Eubank in Albuquerque that provide roughly 180 senior living apartments. Other agreements have led to over 300 new homes in Rio Rancho.
The New Mexico State Land Office manages over 13 million acres leased out for various purposes including agriculture, renewable energy production (https://www.nmstatelands.org/renewable-energy/), business activities (https://www.nmstatelands.org/commercial-resources/), mineral extraction (https://www.nmstatelands.org/minerals/), outdoor recreation (https://www.nmstatelands.org/recreational-access/), as well as supporting ranching operations (https://www.nmstatelands.org/agriculture-grazing/). Since Commissioner Garcia Richard began her term in 2019, these efforts have generated more than $12 billion used primarily for public schools (https://www.nmstatelands.org/public-schools/) but also benefiting hospitals and universities statewide.
The agency’s dual mandate requires balancing financial support for public institutions with stewardship responsibilities meant to protect these lands into future generations.
