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County authorizes emergency funding for Hope Village supportive housing
Summary
Bernalillo County approved an emergency funding allocation to keep Hope Village operational through the fiscal year while county staff and the nonprofit work through financial and operational questions; commissioners emphasized need for long‑term sustainability and stronger back‑office safeguards.
The Bernalillo County Commission authorized an emergency funding procurement to provide $760,000 to HopeWorks for operational support of Hope Village through the end of the fiscal year. The motion passed unanimously.
Hope Village is a single‑site permanent supportive housing facility with 42 units serving chronically homeless individuals with co‑occurring behavioral‑health conditions. County staff and HopeWorks leaders told commissioners that the site has proven to stabilize residents and reduce frequent use of emergency services, but the nonprofit experienced leadership and financial challenges that put continued operations at risk earlier in the year.
Wayne Lindstrom, deputy county manager for behavioral health, briefed the commission and said the county previously provided a smaller emergency allocation while reviewing HopeWorks’ fiscal materials. Staff reviewed a subsequently submitted FY‑24 audit and fiscal materials and recommended a focused emergency appropriation of $760,000 to sustain operations while HopeWorks reorganizes and pursues long‑term funding. HopeWorks leaders including Heidi Schultz (CEO) and Joseph Padilla (director) were present and described the program’s outcomes and argued that continued county support would prevent displacement of vulnerable residents.
Commission discussion acknowledged the program’s value but also pressed for stronger fiscal and oversight safeguards. Commissioners asked for additional information on ongoing operating costs, expectations for leveraging other funding sources, and concrete performance metrics. The county manager said staff would work with the provider to strengthen “back‑office” financial controls, align reporting and pursue sustainable funding pathways (state, federal and philanthropic) so the facility would not require repeated emergency appropriations.
What's next: The county manager and Behavioral Health staff will finalize and execute the emergency agreement and return to the commission with a follow‑up plan that details ongoing operating costs, other funding sources the nonprofit is pursuing, and oversight measures the county will require for additional disbursements.
