Members of a New Mexico legislative committee pressed state housing presenters Wednesday about where affordable units are located, how people find them and why recent state funding has not yet reached local governments.
The discussion unfolded during a presentation about statewide housing programs and data that included a slide saying, “New Mexico Preserve built 61,730 homes.” Representative Herndon asked directly, “Where is it? How do they get it?” The housing presenter replied, “I don't think there's 1 simple answer, and I don't think it's simple to do it,” and described a mix of programs, vouchers and rehabilitation projects across the state.
Committee members said the state lacks a single, live inventory that shows available affordable rental units and vouchers and pressed presenters about funding flow. Representative Anaya asked if the state had “some kind of tracking program” for available units; the housing presenter said the envisioned Office of Housing “is to try and do some of that” but that a live inventory did not yet exist.
Why it matters: lawmakers said the absence of clear, real-time data makes it hard for constituents seeking housing to get help and for local governments to apply for and use state funds. Representative Luhan flagged a budget shift in which an annual $50 million appropriation for the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) was not provided this year; instead, larger sums were routed to the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) and the newly created Office of Housing, including what the presentation lists as $110,000,000 to DFA. A presenter confirmed that, as of data pulled a week before the hearing, that DFA-authorized funding had not yet gone out the door while DFA and Workforce negotiated a memorandum of understanding on how money will flow.
Key facts presented
- A slide referenced “New Mexico Preserve built 61,730 homes,” and presenters said those units are the result of a mix of new construction, motel/hotel rehabilitation, office-to-housing conversions and infill projects “across the state,” with many likely in Albuquerque but some dispersed to other communities.
- Lawmakers and the presenter said no single “one-stop shop” currently lists all units, voucher acceptances or wraparound services; the Office of Housing is expected to help compile such data but it is not yet operational.
- Representative Luhan said the MFA typically received an annual $50 million appropriation; this year that funding moved to DFA (presentation references around $110 million to DFA and, in discussion, a figure referenced as $120,000,000).
- A presenter said post-veto negotiations between DFA and Workforce have slowed the release of the funding and that local governments reported difficulty applying for the money.
Discussion (not formal action)
- Several legislators pressed for geographic clarity: Representative Gonzalez asked for more attention to middle-income and rural housing, noting towns such as Las Vegas, Ruidoso and communities affected by fire and displacement. The presenter pointed to House Bill 195 and a revolving loan fund administered by the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) as a potential vehicle for targeted development.
- Vice Chair Lopez and other legislators asked whether tribal communities and federal programs such as McKinney-Vento were reflected in the presentation. The presenter said PED-administered HUD funds and other local initiatives exist but were not included in the slide deck.
- Representatives raised zoning and local-government barriers as constraints that slow development even when funds exist.
Ending: Committee members urged faster deployment of the DFA funds and better data collection. The presenter and members agreed to follow up on unanswered items, including tribal allocations, McKinney-Vento links and exact counts of units currently available for rent or voucher use.
Speakers
- Representative Herndon — member, New Mexico Legislature (participant in Q&A)
- Representative Anaya — member, New Mexico Legislature (participant in Q&A)
- Housing office staff member — state housing presenter (unnamed in transcript; represents state housing programs)
- Representative Gonzalez — member, New Mexico Legislature (rural housing questions)
- Representative Luhan — member, New Mexico Legislature (budget/oversight questions; MFA oversight committee member)
- Vice Chair Lopez — committee vice chair (asked about tribal communities)
- Representative Torres Velasquez — member, New Mexico Legislature (comment)
- Representative Garcia — member, New Mexico Legislature (comment)
Authorities
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