Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homelessness Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Fe committee approves nearly $2 million contract with Lifelink for micro‑community operations
Summary
The Quality of Life Committee approved a professional services contract with Lifelink for micro‑community management and services totaling $1,986,338.60. Staff said the amount is meant as a four‑year funding pool to operate two initial micro‑community sites; council members sought cost breakdowns and safeguards.
The Santa Fe City Council Quality of Life Committee on Wednesday approved a professional services contract with Lifelink for micro‑community management and services in the amount of $1,986,338.60.
Staff said the contract is structured as a pool of funding that could be used over up to four years and is scaled to support two initial micro‑community sites; locations have not yet been selected. Councilors asked for more detailed cost breakdowns, monthly caps and additional performance information before further expansion.
Project manager Kristen Woods described the contract as the operator agreement resulting from an RFP issued in October. Woods said the contract sets the service provider that would manage the city’s future micro communities.
“[The operator] will provide on‑site social support services, 24/7 oversight and basic property management services to two micro communities,” Woods said on the record. Woods also cautioned that because sites are not yet selected, staff are treating the contract as a funding pool that could be drawn on across the term.
Woods and Director Julie Sanchez said the current micro‑community at Christ Lutheran Church, operated by Lifelink, costs roughly $30,000 to $60,000 per month on a reimbursement basis, dependent on staffing and client needs. Kristen Woods summarized core services at the existing site: “They provide 24/7 on‑site assistance or security. They provide meals. They provide case management.”
Councilor Miguel Garcia pressed staff on value and scale, illustrating the concern with a specific calculation: “It’s a thousand dollars a day for 10 individuals,” Garcia said, and asked for an itemized breakdown of security, meals and case management line items. Staff said security currently makes up close to half of the contract cost because of a negotiated good‑neighbor requirement for 24/7 on‑site security; that item may be renegotiated as site design and community agreements develop.
Committee members also discussed how priority populations — including veterans, youth, older adults and people with ADA needs — could change site staffing and cost. Councilor Maria Castro asked whether clinical or hospice care needs for aging residents were included in planning; staff said operators will need to coordinate medical and behavioral health partnerships and that costs would vary with populations served.
Staff said two private partner organizations have expressed interest in later phases but are still securing internal board approvals; phase 3 sites under private partners would likely use non‑city funding. Woods told the committee that if additional sites are added beyond the two covered by this contract, staff might pursue another procurement process (an RFA rather than an RFP) to bring on more operators.
The motion to approve the contract passed on a roll call: Councilor Castro — yes; Councilor Chavez — yes; Councilor Garcia — yes; Councilor Faulkner — yes; Madam chair — yes.
Council members requested a follow‑up briefing to provide a full cost‑breakdown (monthly and per‑site), performance measures and the staff recommendation for any per‑year caps before the committee considers expanding the program or authorizing additional funding.
