OPINION: Endless delays from a handful of activists are halting housing and progress in Albuquerque

Albuquerque faces crises that touch every part of life in the city. Rising housing costs, an increase in the unhoused population, slow job growth and limited access to medical care are problems that need to be addressed immediately.

Solving these problems requires policies that balance the need for growth and sustainable development. The Albuquerque City Council has introduced an important bill that will help promote growth in our city through a reform of the project appeals process, as well as further promoting and allowing housing growth in certain key areas.

Housing has become a major problem in Albuquerque. Almost half of Albuquerque’s apartments were built before 1965, and not enough housing exists to meet the city’s growing population. Experts estimate the city needs 27,747 more units today, not factoring in future growth beyond the estimated pipeline of new jobs. At the current rate housing is being developed, it will take decades for the city’s housing supply to meet the demand.

Building more housing, including affordable, middle-market, and market-rate for-sale and for-rent housing, is the only way to eliminate the housing crisis Albuquerque is facing. Doing so would not only help people struggling to find affordable housing, but it would also bring significant investment into our community and support growing other commercial activity, such as health care facilities, grocery stores and entertainment venues.

Lack of adequate housing has a direct impact on the local economy.

According to the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, a regional nonprofit focused on increasing the standard of living in the region and reducing poverty through economic development, access to workforce is the second-most critical site selection factor for corporate location decisions. According to CNBC’s current “America’s Top States for Business in 2024,” New Mexico ranks No. 43 overall.

Without adequate pathways to solving the housing crisis in a competitive manner we will be unable to educate, attract and retain the critical workforce needed to increase our economic position. When consultants visit the region, according to the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, they ask about workforce housing development, cost and availability before many other quality of life factors, including crime.

There are major obstacles to building more housing. The process to approve housing and commercial projects is long and complicated. The pathway to approval for a development process includes months of hearings and reviews by multiple groups, including neighborhood associations, the Planning Commission and multiple agencies. The process is important and necessary, but even when projects get approval, they can still be held up by appeals from individuals who claim to speak for the community, but often do not represent the majority.

These appeals have delayed and even stopped important projects, including housing developments, medical facilities and businesses that create important jobs and services for our community.

For example, appeals blocked a movie studio project that would have brought 400 jobs, along with housing projects that could have provided homes for hundreds of families. Even a city fire station faced opposition from a handful of people. Unlike other government agencies in Albuquerque, the city allows appeals of its own zoning decisions. That makes it harder and sometimes impossible for projects to move forward expeditiously.

It is essential to reform this process to bring forward appeals that are fair and representative of the community, but that do not needlessly delay construction of affordable housing and economic development. Research has shown that overly restrictive regulations and appeals make housing more expensive and discourage investment into a community.

In Albuquerque, nearly 40% of appeals come from neighborhood associations’ executive boards, often without consulting the broader community. Most of these appeals fail, but not after causing long delays and added costs to projects.

One recent appeal involved a neighborhood coffee shop that just four people opposed and held up the family-owned business for months. These kinds of delays often do not reflect what the majority of residents want and end up hurting the entire city.

Another appeal involved a small group of activists who delayed the development of housing in a Downtown neighborhood despite the neighborhood’s support for the development. This small group was not a stakeholder in the immediate neighborhood, and used the appeal process to elevate attention to their not entirely related causes.

Simplifying the process would make it easier to build housing and attract businesses, creating jobs and opportunities for residents.

To make progress, the city needs to adopt clear and fair rules that ensure appeals come from individuals who are directly in the vicinity of the project. This includes aligning Albuquerque’s process with other government agencies, which don’t allow endless delays from appeals after projects are approved. Strengthening communication with neighborhoods can also help ensure that decisions reflect what the majority of residents want.

By addressing the housing crisis and removing unnecessary barriers to growth, the city can create more diverse housing options, reduce homelessness and boost the local economy with economic base jobs, retail activity and commercial space.

The Albuquerque City Council and city administration needs to consider the proposed updates to the Integrated Development Ordinance that put the city at an equal footing with Bernalillo County, the state, and other municipalities regarding appeals, and provide a pathway for neighborhood associations to appeal when representing the majority of those with standing.

Sal Perdomo is director of Acquisitions and Development for Titan Development. He is a member of NAIOP. This op-ed was co-authored by Ernie C’deBaca of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Alan LaSeck of the Apartment Association of New Mexico, Carla Kugler of Associated Builders and Contractors New Mexico, Kelly Roepke of Associated General Contractors of New Mexico, Nathan Brooks of Commercial Association of Realtors New Mexico, Terri Cole of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce; Lana Smiddle of Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico, Todd Clarke of New Mexico Apartment Advisors Inc., and Ian Robertson of ULI New Mexico.