Bernalillo County managers told the Local Government Coordinated Council on Thursday that the county’s plan for state housing dollars emphasizes rapid, implementation-ready projects, gap financing and investments that preserve and expand affordable housing.

County Manager Cindy Chavez said the county and City of Albuquerque originally asked the Legislature for about $189 million; the Legislature allocated roughly $110 million for housing, and an additional $40 million in state funds was later identified under the state’s housing leadership, Chavez said. “We were really focused on trying to get a thousand people off the streets by next June,” Chavez said, describing the county’s goal tied to the funding.

Why it matters: County officials said rapid use of state funds will demonstrate results to the Legislature and to residents and help position the region for further funding.

Program priorities and approach
Chavez said the county prioritized projects that are “implementation ready,” including acquisitions of properties that require little rehabilitation so they can move quickly into occupancy, transitional housing that can place people within 30 days of closing, preservation of existing affordable units, and infrastructure projects that unlock stalled developments. The county emphasized projects that could break ground quickly and that do not require extensive, time-consuming rehabilitation.

Affordability targets and financing
County staff told the council they plan to finance housing serving a range of incomes — from about 30% to 120% of area median income (AMI) — arguing in the presentation that mixed-income buildings improve child outcomes and stability. Chavez said the county will create sinking funds and building-level reserves to avoid repeated requests for repair money and to protect long-term viability.

Process and next steps
- Project list: The county submitted a prioritized list of projects to the state after the commission provided direction in June; awards from the state will determine which projects move forward.
- Spending and reimbursement: Staff said they are working with the state on reimbursement timelines to avoid negative cash-flow impacts for county projects and to ensure funds are distributed quickly after awards are made.
- Reapplications: Chavez said projects not selected by the state will be reconfigured and resubmitted for future funding rounds.

City coordination and community engagement
Samantha Single, speaking for the City of Albuquerque, said city and county staff coordinated on lists submitted to the state and on procurement changes that give the city more flexibility for affordable-housing work. Commissioner Barbara Baca urged staff to add a specific community-engagement step to future presentations and to ensure that neighborhood concerns and good-neighbor policies are part of project rollouts.

Ending: County staff said they will move to acquire properties as awards are announced, prioritize quick occupancy and continue joint city-county coordination to maximize the state funds’ impact.