A tiny village is Albuquerque's latest homelessness initiative. Will it be successful?

Breaking the cycle of addiction is no easy task, especially for someone experiencing homelessness. But it’s one that Donald Hume knows well.

For Hume, who has been in recovery for over three decades, a safe place to rest, relax and heal was a crucial part of moving forward.

“When I came into recovery, I had been homeless for multiple years,” Hume said. “I moved into my parents’ house, and I was one of the lucky ones.”

Lucky, Hume said, because without that family support system, he would have had nowhere else to turn except for a quiet alley or a roadside tent.

Hume shared his experience before a crowd of city officials gathered recently to mark the completion of Gateway Recovery, a city-owned community of tiny homes meant to support people in the position Hume was once in, trying to break the cycle of addiction.

At a cost of about $5 million, the city of Albuquerque erected 46 tiny homes along with several bathrooms and utility stations meant to serve 50 people. Some of the homes allow for couples, and the campus features a small dog park for pet owners and a dozen raised garden beds also dot the facility, expected to be used if not this spring, then next. Gateway Recovery also has several security cameras, which, according to one of the program managers, cannot be accessed by police. The community is located in an industrial area in the 3400 block of the Pan American Freeway.

Residents are not allowed to use drugs on the property but will be offered treatment and therapy services, as well as connected to employment opportunities, over a 12- to 18-month stay.

It’s not a walk-up facility. Instead, it’s meant to serve individuals who have completed detox and need a safe, stable environment to maintain sobriety and continue their recovery and receive a referral to be there, according to Albuquerque’s Health, Housing and Homelessness Director Gilbert Ramírez.

“Going into detox, that’s a huge step for a person to make that commitment,” Ramírez said. “But what happens when you get out? Do we just walk away and say you’re done, and you should be fine? That’s not the case. The reality is that you need the next step of help. This is that next step.”

At the unveiling of Gateway Recovery on April 25, Ramírez said the project’s goal is nothing short of saving lives.

That’s a tall task in New Mexico. The most recent data from the New Mexico Department of Health reported 948 drug overdose deaths and 1,896 alcohol-related deaths in 2023, the most recent available data.

Ramírez said Gateway Recovery will be well-positioned to help unhoused people in the throes of addiction because the city has done its homework. He cited a 2024 report commissioned by the city examining recovery housing in Albuquerque.

That report argued that recovery housing was a critical community asset for individuals recovering from substance use disorders. It also detailed the levels of support offered, such as peer-led homes to residential treatment centers, and emphasizes the value of a safe community residence that promotes recovery.

“Everything around this was evidence-based. We understand the need in our community, how many units we have available, and what the gap is,” Ramírez said.

Gateway Recovery hasn’t begun accepting residents, but Mayor Tim Keller said filling the units is the first step.

“The demand for this is so high. I mean, it’s, I’m not exaggerating, it’s probably in the thousands,” Keller said.

Still, Keller said Gateway Recovery will take a few months to complete. Once it’s up and running, Keller said the city will measure success based on the number of people who enter permanent housing, either with a family member or independently, and maintain sobriety. The providers will report that information to the city.

And if successful, Albuquerque should expect more such facilities.

“Addiction is the number one problem facing Albuquerque and the rest of the country. And so the more facilities for folks to get help, the better,” Keller said. “We’ve got to start somewhere.”