Doña Ana County approves $1,028,000 budget revision for transitional supportive housing; lease option to be explored

The Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners approved a budget revision and resolution on Tuesday to allocate $1,028,000 from county reserves to complete phase 1 of a transitional supportive housing facility.

The resolution (No. 2025-47) passed 4-1, with Vice Chair Chaparro voting no. Commissioners voting yes were Commissioner Ramirez, Commissioner Reynolds, Commissioner Sanchez and Chair Sheldon.

Jamie Michael, Doña Ana County’s director of health and human services, told commissioners the county must provide the local match before it can accept a separate award from the state. "The award that was made from the state for the $715,000...is contingent on you all approving this budget request today," Michael said.

The funding approved Tuesday is intended to finish site construction and landscaping for phase 1 of a modular transitional supportive housing project on land the county previously acquired. Justin Weaver of the county facilities office summarized earlier work on the site, including a constructed rock wall and initial design.

Discussion and lease alternative

Vice Chair Chaparro urged the commission to consider an alternative: leasing an existing eight-building property at 1084 Amador that proponents say could house up to 30 people. "There's enough room to house 30 people at present," Chaparro said, quoting an estimate provided by a potential lessor.

At the meeting, Chaparro cited an estimate of annual lease costs she received: a range of $12.50 to $14.50 per square foot for about 13,610 square feet, which translates to roughly $170,000 to $200,000 per year. She asked commissioners to allow time to investigate whether leasing already-built units might stretch the county dollars farther than an up-front capital expense.

Nicole Martinez, director of the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope, said the Amador property is currently used to house families under several grants and is closely integrated with Community of Hope services. "That property is currently being utilized by the Community of Hope," Martinez said, noting multiple grants and a 10-year master plan tied to the site and to a home-loan arrangement with the City of Las Cruces.

Representatives for FYI Plus were not present; Chaparro and staff reported inconsistent information about current occupancy. Jamie Michael and Nicole Martinez both recommended coordination before any change; Michael warned that some funding and master-plan restrictions attached to the Community of Hope parcel could affect options.

Vote and next steps

After debate, Commissioner Reynolds called the question. The motion to approve the budget revision passed; Brandy recorded the roll call (Ramirez yes; Reynolds yes; Sanchez yes; Chaparro no; Chair Sheldon yes). The board assigned resolution number 2025-47 to the action.

Commissioners and staff directed follow-up meetings to explore alternatives and clarify constraints. Michael said staff could not accept the state award until the county match was approved. After the vote, Michael offered to meet with Chaparro, Nicole Martinez and representatives of FYI Plus to "pound out something" and to examine whether lease, lease-to-purchase, or other partnerships could reduce initial county outlays while meeting program goals.

What the action does — and what remains open

The commission’s approval authorizes the county to revise its budget and use county reserves for phase 1 site work. The state award of $715,000 and other potential outside funds (including a reported New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority contribution) could still be accepted, but Michael said acceptance of that state funding is contingent on the county match being in place.

Unresolved items included the precise occupancy status of the Amador property, tax and utility implications for a nonprofit lessee, whether housing vouchers would cover utilities, and how the Community of Hope master plan and existing grant terms would interact with any lease or sale. Commissioners instructed staff to return with those clarifications if a lease option is pursued.

The county manager and health and human services staff said they would coordinate next steps with Community of Hope and FYI Plus to identify options that protect existing program participants while advancing housing capacity for people in the diversion program described during the discussion.