'This will get people off the streets' city breaks ground on new micro community housing

The City of Albuquerque broke ground on a new micro community last week dedicated to giving people experiencing homelessness and recovering from substance disorders a second chance.

Recovery Gateway will create a community of prefabricated pallet homes — typically 70 square-foot units — to provide transitional housing while providing wraparound services to aid in recovery.

It's the city's first recovery housing project. Currently, Albuquerque has 800 beds for unhoused people, according to Mayor Tim Keller.

The micro community will have 50 pallet homes, a community garden and offer individual and group therapy. It will also help its residents enter the workforce through a partnership with the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.

The community will be located at Pan American and Candelaria, the location of a former Motor Vehicle Division site, and is expected to be "fully operational in early 2025," according to a news release.

"This will get people off the streets and into recovery," Keller said. "The first phase of stability starts with stable shelter. By the end of winter, we hope to have every room filled."

The project is a collaboration between the state, city and county funded by $5 million and "just a slice," Keller said, of allocated opioid settlement funds and an additional $800,000 from county officials. Half of the budget is expected to go towards construction and infrastructure.

City Councilor Joaquín Baca, who represents District 2 — where the pallet homes will be located — said the homes will be a big step forward in solving some of the issues the city is facing.

"Housing, homelessness and addiction are some of our biggest issues," Baca said. "Creating a space for long-term addiction recovery is very important."

Gilbert Ramírez, director of the city's Health, Housing & Homelessness Department, said the micro community is an investment for people who are ready to recover.

"The path to recovery is not the end point; it's a journey with a lot of intricacies," Ramírez said. "We're removing major foundational barriers. We want to work with people where they're at."

Ramírez said he estimates resident stays will be about 18 to 24 months.