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County agrees to serve as fiscal agent for La Casa expansion project; MOU approved
Summary
The Doña Ana County Commission approved a memorandum of understanding authorizing the county to act as fiscal agent for La Casa's planned shelter expansion; La Casa representatives told commissioners the project could cost about $30 million and the group is seeking land-acquisition funding.
The Doña Ana County Commission on March 11 approved a memorandum of understanding allowing the county to act as fiscal agent for La Casa Inc. as the nonprofit seeks land acquisition and capital funding to build a larger domestic-violence shelter campus.
Assistant County Manager Steven Lopez described the request: La Casa provides emergency shelter and support services and seeks a 5- to 10-acre site for an expanded, state-of-the-art facility. Because some funding sources require a government fiscal agent for grants or capital-outlay awards, La Casa requested that the county serve in that fiscal role while fundraising and selecting a site, Lopez said.
La Casa representatives and supporters said the organization is actively pursuing multiple funding sources and that a new facility would expand shelter beds, integrate trauma-informed care and improve service capacity. Cassandra Gandin, a registered lobbyist for La Casa, told commissioners that the current site lease was renewed last year for five years and that the organization has explored multiple properties in Las Cruces and the county.
Marcy Davis, chief executive of La Casa (represented at the meeting), told the board La Casa has been regularly at or near shelter capacity and cited recent cases involving elderly survivors. A La Casa representative told the board the organization has estimated a total project cost of approximately $30 million and that it was pursuing at least $3 million for land acquisition and design. They also cited potential inclusion in state capital-outlay or House Bill 2 funding lists that could add more funding.
The MOU approved by the board is intended to allow the county to accept and manage public funds on La Casa's behalf while the nonprofit continues site selection, design and separate fundraising. Lopez said the agreement includes intent-language to move to a lease-purchase structure where appropriate so the nonprofit does not remain permanently restricted in property controls.
Why this matters: La Casa operates critical safety-net services for survivors of domestic violence. Commissioners said facilitating land acquisition and fiscal sponsorship could accelerate a capital project to expand bed capacity and services.
What's next: La Casa and county staff will continue site work and fundraising; the county will act as fiscal agent for awarded public funds and will report to the board as project steps proceed. The motion carried and the county manager will execute related documents as necessary.
