Bernalillo County on Sept. 9 took multiple actions intended to accelerate affordable housing projects in the county: the board adopted an amendment to the county’s affordable housing ordinance to streamline approvals, approved a $500,000 allocation for Family Promise to acquire a triplex for family transitional housing, extended project deadlines for a Casitas del Camino affordable-housing financing package, and approved the immediate conveyance process and related approvals for a county-owned property to East Central Ministries for transitional housing.

Director Gonzales described the ordinance amendment as a change “that basically takes out that we have to do an ordinance to do an ordinance to do an ordinance for a project,” explaining the revision is intended to simplify and speed county approvals for affordable-housing projects and to align the county with the Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) review. The commission approved that ordinance amendment on a 5–0 vote.

On the Family Promise item the commission authorized a county allocation of $500,000 to help the organization purchase and renovate a county-owned triplex in the International District to provide housing for families in need; the item was introduced and approved with a sponsor motion and passed 5–0. Director Gonzales said most additional capital for the project was already in place and rental/occupancy will follow acquisition and minor renovations.

Commissioners also approved extending the deadline for project revenue bonds for Casitas del Camino while the housing authority completes HUD approvals. Linda Bridge, executive director of the Albuquerque Housing Authority, said the existing units had been temporarily vacated pending rehabilitation and that vandalism and trespass had been problems at the site; she said that families had been relocated temporarily and that staff were securing the units while waiting on HUD. The extension passed on a 5–0 vote.

Finally, the commission approved immediate action to introduce and adopt a resolution conveying a county‑owned former clinic at 133 Virginia St. to East Central Ministries for conversion to transitional housing that will hold about six residents and a live‑in manager. Vice Chair Barbola, the item’s sponsor, said the transaction pairs county property conveyance with capital-outlay funding the nonprofit secured from MFA. The board approved suspension of rules and immediate action and adopted the resolution 5–0 (AR 2025-91).

Commissioners said they support the mix of small-scale transitional housing, rehab of existing units and policy fixes intended to speed approvals. Multiple commissioners praised staff for coordinating with state financing agencies and local partners to move several projects forward concurrently.