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Formerly unhoused resident recounts losing home and children, urges action on Albuquerque’s housing shortfall
Summary
Maria Sanchez described episodes of homelessness and said Bernalillo County helped her reunite with her children; a public commenter cited an estimated 22,000-unit affordable housing shortfall in Albuquerque and urged lawmakers to act.
Maria Sanchez, a resident who said she experienced homelessness, told a public meeting she lost housing and custody of her children before receiving help from Bernalillo County and urged legislators to increase affordable housing.
The comment underscores the scale of the problem, a public commenter said, noting that 2022 estimates show Albuquerque is short about 22,000 affordable housing units — a shortfall the commenter said contributes to family separations and long-term instability.
"I was homeless for a bit after 16, and then I got pregnant," Sanchez said. She described living in a car and later losing custody: "My kids got taken from me, then my apartment got taken from me." Sanchez said Bernalillo County helped her regain housing and reunite with her children.
The commenter who cited the 2022 estimate framed Sanchez’s experience as part of a broader local shortage of affordable units; the transcript does not name the source of the estimate beyond the year. Sanchez closed her remarks on a hopeful note: "I feel very lucky and in the future gonna be very successful."
No motions, votes or formal board actions are recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. The remarks are recorded as public comment and contain a personal account and an appeal for legislative action on affordable housing.
