Residents urge New Mexico legislators to fund permanent housing for Bernalillo County

Speakers during public comment at a Bernalillo County meeting described personal experiences of homelessness and urged New Mexico legislators to increase funding for permanent affordable housing.

A resident recounted recent homelessness after incarceration, saying, "So many people are experiencing housing insecurity. So I just barely got out of jail. I was on drugs before, so I was just, like, out on the streets a lot. A single mom, had 2 kids. In the beginning, I experienced, sleeping behind a trash can for the first time." The same speaker later said, "You know, just being able to know that I'm in a in a stable spot and not having to be out on the streets. That's a Oh, it's a good feeling."

A second commenter framed the issue as widespread and tied it to state policy, saying, "Their struggles have become all too common, and the dream of permanent housing has become elusive for far too many in our communities." That speaker also said New Mexico legislators have an opportunity to "stem the tide to fund more housing solutions in support of Bernalillo County's ongoing efforts to get our families off the streets and on the path to permanent affordable housing."

The comments combined personal testimony — including a parent reporting two children and having slept "behind a trash can" — with an explicit request that state lawmakers increase funding to support county housing programs. The transcript contains no record of a formal response from county officials or any motion or vote on the matter during the meeting.

Speakers’ remarks were recorded during the meeting’s public comment period and did not, by themselves, create or change county policy. They called for legislative funding that would support Bernalillo County’s ongoing work to provide long-term affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness.