Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County creates housing development strategy as state funding approaches
Summary
Bernalillo County approved a plan to stand up a housing development function and to coordinate city‑county use of a pending state allocation for housing. Staff will seek initial funding for three FTEs for the proposed Housing Development Division and pursue shovel‑ready affordable and supportive housing projects.
Bernalillo County commissioners on March 25 backed staff’s plan to create a county housing development capability and to begin using new state housing funds should the governor sign legislation pending at the time of the meeting.
Lede: The board approved a strategy to accelerate affordable‑housing development, including a request to staff to begin work on a dedicated Housing Development Division to coordinate projects, leverage low‑income housing tax credits, and partner with the City of Albuquerque and nonprofit developers. The motion passed 5–0.
Why it matters: The Legislature had appropriated funds during the 2025 session that would direct capital for housing to counties and cities; Bernalillo County staff told commissioners the county expects to receive an allocation and must show the state it can move quickly to deploy funds to create permanent supportive housing, workforce housing and other affordable units. Creating an in‑house development capacity is part of that readiness strategy.
Plan highlights presented by Economic Development staff - New Housing Development Division: staff asked for three new positions (division leader, facilitator and executive assistant) to begin work on development pipelines and coordination. Given the tight FY26 budget, staff said the hires might be staged or contracted until permanent funding can be established; commissioners asked staff to identify offsets if positions are added in FY26. - Project examples: staff highlighted Tierra Linda, a mixed rehab/new project with 42 refurbished units and 46 new units, noting a current financing gap (about $4 million cited in presentation) despite LIHTC and other sources, and identified other shovel‑ready projects that could use immediate capital. - Coordination: staff emphasized a collaborative approach with the City of Albuquerque, Albuquerque Housing Authority, providers and behavioral health partners; behavioral health wraparound services were highlighted as critical to permanent supportive housing success.
Board direction and next steps: The commission approved the strategy and asked staff to return with staffing options, proposed offsets and a timeline for deploying state funds and matching local resources. Commissioners emphasized prioritizing permanent supportive housing for people with serious behavioral health needs and projects that can be built quickly. Staff said they would coordinate closely with the city and other partners and bring specific project appropriations back to the board for approval.
Speakers: County Manager and Economic Development staff described state and local funding, with detailed comments from Executive Development Officer Gonzales (project revenue bond and development funding mechanics) and Director Marcos (participated in discussion). Commissioners asked for data‑driven prioritization and for transparency about project quality, location and long‑term affordability monitoring.
Implementation risk: medium. County staff said key risks are rising construction costs, softening LIHTC equity markets, and the short timeframe to deploy legislative funds; staff recommended beginning work immediately to demonstrate capacity to state decisionmakers.
What the board asked staff to return with: a budget for the three positions (including options to delay hires to FY27), a prioritized pipeline of shovel‑ready projects, and recommendations for how to use the county share of any state allocation in partnership with the city and nonprofits.
