Santa Fe staff push microcommunity pilot near Fire Station 7; July town hall on next sites

City staff told the Santa Fe Governing Body on June 3 that a planned microcommunity pilot would be developed next to Fire Station 7 and that the city manager will hold a public town hall on July 1 to seek neighborhood input on a second city‑owned site. The staff presentation described microcommunities as a near‑term approach to add family‑oriented transitional units (roughly 30–40 units, expected to yield approximately 60–70 beds) while the city develops longer‑term consolidated resource and housing options.

Henry Hammond Paul, director of Community Health and Safety, said the city’s pilot microcommunity approach builds on an existing model already implemented in Santa Fe. "After one year, 72% of residents at the Arroyo Chamizo microcommunity had moved into permanent housing or were actively on a pathway to housing," he told the council, citing city data. Staff characterized the microcommunity as a low‑barrier interim solution intended for households who need supervised temporary spaces with on‑site services and pathways to longer‑term permanent housing.

Members of the council asked staff to accelerate community outreach and to provide detailed timelines and exact designs for the Fire Station 7 pilot. Staff said the resolution scheduled for the June 11 meeting would formally empower the city manager to pursue all steps necessary to implement the Fire Station 7 site, to conduct neighborhood notification and to continue feasibility work on the second site.

Why this matters Santa Fe faces a declared shortage of shelter capacity and a rise in street‑level calls for service concentrated around specific corridors. Microcommunities (sometimes called safe outdoor spaces or pallet‑shelter communities) are designed to expand shelter and transitional capacity faster than building permanent housing; staff said they typically produce higher rates of housing moves when paired with active navigation and supportive services.

What’s next - June 11: formal resolution before the governing body authorizing manager action on the Fire Station 7 site. - July 1: city‑led town hall to solicit input and identify a second publicly owned location for microcommunity development. - Implementation: staff projected the Fire Station 7 pilot will create 30–40 family units and 60–70 beds, with program details to be refined after community input and site design work.

Ending City leaders said microcommunity development is only one element of a larger, multi‑pronged homelessness strategy that also includes street outreach, shelter stabilization and eventual expansion of permanent, affordable housing.