Gateway homeless shelters grow, bolstered with state funds

The Gateway Center will open 141 more beds in a system of homeless shelters thanks to millions in state funding approved by the City Council on Wednesday.

The extra beds come as thousands of people spend nights on the streets in Albuquerque, according to the latest point-in-time count by the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness.

The approval to spend $3.6 million in funds was given somewhat begrudgingly by some councilors, who have long called the Gateway system inefficient.

“I am not a fan of the Gateways, but we have them, so let’s make them work,” said Council President Brook Bassan of District 4 in northern Albuquerque on Wednesday. “...The state wants to give us money. I really hope that we put it to good use and that we actually truly help people in need.”

The funding was just a slice of more than $110 million that the Legislature allocated this year to tackle housing and homelessness issues across the state.

The approval passed on a 5-2 vote for both contracts, with Councilors Dan Champine and Louie Sanchez voting no.

The funding is for operating the Housing Navigation Shelter at the Gateway center at Gibson and San Mateo SE.

Most of the funds will go to staffing, which includes intake specialists, housing support specialists, community outreach personnel and shuttle bus drivers. The funds will also pay for contracted services like security and cleaning, as well as physical supplies.

The City Council also unanimously approved a $2.3 million operating contract with Youth Development Inc., the operator of a young adult housing program that will house 41 people aged 18-25 who are experiencing homelessness. YDI currently runs the city’s Gateway Family shelter.

Gateway Young Adult will be located at a former hotel at San Mateo and Cutler that is currently being renovated.

In Bernalillo County, many of the people living on the streets are young, including an estimated 1,200 to 2,300 people between the ages of 15 and 25, according to a 2022 needs assessment. Many of those young people are fleeing domestic violence at home or have aged out of the foster care system, according to the assessment.

There are currently 1,176 shelter beds in Albuquerque, 807 of which are at Gateway shelters. The newly approved operation cost breaks down to $36,000 per added bed at both the men’s and women’s Housing Navigation Shelter.

The per-bed operation cost for the youth shelter is more than $56,000.

“It’s going beyond offering a bed,” said Connor Woods, the city spokesperson for the Health, Housing and Homelessness Department. “This is about treating people’s needs and setting them up for success.”

All three expanded shelters will offer case management as well as treatment for mental health and addiction, with the ultimate goal of transitioning people into more stable living situations.

The last time the Gateway expanded was in 2023 when the first 50 women’s shelter beds opened at the Housing Navigation Center. Woods said the new beds are expected to open in the coming months after the operators recruit and train staff.

“Through this vital funding, we can connect more people to life-changing treatment and services,” said Health, Housing and Homelessness Director Gilbert Ramirez in a statement Wednesday. “Thank you to the state for injecting funding into programming that offers safe, dignified spaces where people can begin their journey to stability.”