OPINION: Housing is the key to behavioral health recovery

Roughly 25 years ago, I sat in the home of a man who had struggled for decades with severe mental illness. He shared with me a reality that reshaped my understanding of behavioral health recovery.

He told me, “For years, counselors and therapists kept telling me that if I just got a job, everything would be OK. I’ve had hundreds of jobs. But I could never keep them — because I didn’t have a home.”

That moment was a turning point in my professional life. Until that conversation, I, like many others, believed that employment was the foundation of stability. But I had it backward. Stability begins with a home.

The data are clear: Homelessness and behavioral health challenges are deeply intertwined. A recent meta-analysis found that roughly 67% of individuals experiencing homelessness have a severe mental illness, and up to 50% also struggle with substance use disorders. Many suffer from both.

Yet, too often, the response to homelessness is a short-term fix — temporary shelter, emergency services, or crisis intervention. These are necessary steps, but they do not address the root of the issue. Without safe, stable housing, recovery remains out of reach for far too many. That’s why Bernalillo County is taking a proactive approach to ensure that housing solutions are not just available, but also designed to support recovery and long-term stability.

This legislative session, we are advocating for major investments in housing because we understand that without a home, sustainable recovery is nearly impossible. As part of this effort, Bernalillo County is requesting $33 million in state funding for behavioral health-related housing. This funding will support:

• CARE Campus Transitional Housing: A new housing component at Bernalillo County’s CARE Campus to provide stability and wraparound behavioral health services for individuals in recovery.
• Family and Senior Wellness Hotel: A safe and supportive housing environment for vulnerable families and older adults experiencing housing instability, ensuring they have access to essential services.
• Tiny Home Communities: Small-scale housing solutions that offer immediate, low-barrier shelter with integrated support services.

These projects are part of a larger $79 million joint request with the city of Albuquerque, aimed at closing critical gaps in behavioral health housing and services. In addition to these targeted investments, we support broader efforts to expand access to affordable housing statewide, including the proposed $500 million allocation to the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund. This initiative will help create long-term housing solutions for communities across New Mexico.

We cannot tackle this challenge alone. Addressing the intersection of homelessness and behavioral health requires a coordinated effort between state and local governments, nonprofits, health care providers and community organizations. We are grateful for the leadership of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Legislature, whose support is essential in making these solutions a reality.

The man who shared his story with me all those years ago was right: Meaningful employment, lasting recovery, and full participation in society are only possible when people have a place to call home.

This legislative session, we have an opportunity to act. By investing in housing and behavioral health services, we can create a future in which more New Mexicans can find stability, heal and build a path forward.

Together, with the leadership of our lawmakers and the support of local organizations, advocates, and residents, we can take bold steps to expand housing access and behavioral health services, ensuring more New Mexicans have the stability they need to thrive

Wayne W. Lindstrom, Ph.D., is Bernalillo County’s deputy county manager for behavioral health.