Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homelessness Shelter Appeal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Espanola shelter appeal draws regional support as groups propose transport and treatment expansions
Summary
Espanola-area service providers told the Los Alamos County Health Council that Pathway Shelter faces a City Planning Commission denial and an Oct. 14 appeal; presenters urged volunteers and outlined plans for expanded medication‑assisted treatment, on‑site medical care and a proposed free health-transport loop to connect clients with services.
Rob Vigil, program director of Eagle Village at the Espanola Pathway Shelter, told the council the transitional recovery program provides long-term support for people exiting treatment and uses a combination of program fees and state help to place clients.
"I require a minimum of 6 months in recovery or verifiable sobriety in order to, get a unit at my program," Vigil said, describing 14 units (9 currently occupied during renovation), $500 monthly program fees and stays of up to 18 months. He said eviction-prevention and rental assistance tied to opioid‑settlement funds can cover up to six months of rent or $10,000, "whichever comes first," to help people secure housing.
Jake Stockwell, Shelter Operations Director for Pathway, described a web of on‑site and mobile services aimed at keeping people connected to treatment and primary care. "MAT on demand is a portal that they can link to a telehealth provider, and they can start that journey within a half an hour," Stockwell said, describing a pilot that lets clients begin medication‑assisted treatment without long transports. He said partners include Porchlight Health for MAT, La Familia Healthcare for on‑site primary care and monthly harm‑reduction visits from Mountain Center that provide testing, Narcan and clean‑use supplies.
Tyler Taylor, coordinator for the Interfaith Coalition on Homelessness, said his group has built volunteer capacity and raised funds for targeted projects — including a phone‑distribution effort and a proposed free circulator focused on health needs that would run roughly every two hours to clinics, pharmacies and counseling sites. "We proposed a transport system that would be free, that would be reliable, dedicated just to health support — run 7 days a week and every 2 hours do a loop," Taylor said, calling transportation a "giant gap" blocking access to care.
Taylor and other presenters sounded the alarm about Pathway Shelter's immediate future after the City Planning Commission denied a special‑use permit needed for the shelter to continue operating at its current site. "City Planning Commission denied that at their last meeting," he said, and noted the matter is scheduled for an appeal before the Espanola City Council on Oct. 14. Supporters asked volunteers to attend the hearing, gather petition signatures and help with public outreach.
Council members and staff asked practical questions about capacity, referral pathways and winter surge planning; presenters said current client counts fluctuate — Pathway served roughly 80 unique individuals in earlier months and was serving about 25 at the time of the presentation, with an expectation of increased demand in winter months.
No formal action by the Los Alamos County Health Council was recorded on the shelter's permit; presenters requested help from regional volunteers and organizations to support the appeal process and to advance the transport pilot. The council's recorded follow‑ups include circulating volunteer materials and coordinating with social services staff on next steps.
The immediate next public step is the Espanola City Council hearing on Oct. 14 on the shelter's appeal. Presenters asked that interested volunteers, clergy and community members attend and that partners continue work on the proposed transport loop and on‑site treatment pilots.
