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City of Santa Fe details progress, funding and gaps in push for affordable housing
Summary
Fabiola Chavez, director of Santa Fe’s Office of Affordable Housing, reported recent deployments of federal and local funds, cited numbers of units and households helped over the past two years, and invited public comment and upcoming RFPs for further projects.
Fabiola Chavez, director of the City of Santa Fe Office of Affordable Housing, told residents the department has advanced a five-year consolidated plan, deployed multiple funding streams and is pursuing partnerships to expand units and homeownership.
"Our mission is to create and support housing opportunities that maintain and enhance the economic and social cultural diversity of our community," Chavez said, noting the consolidated plan is posted on the city website and listing HUD priorities that include expanded rental and homeownership opportunities, homelessness response and housing stability programs.
Chavez cited recent program numbers: the department reported $4,450,465 in outcomes for 2024 and said it is scheduled to deploy about $4,181,000 in 2025. She told the meeting the city expects to award roughly $506,007.80 in Community Development Block Grant funds this year and referenced Affordable Housing Trust Fund activity. Chavez also said the office created 243 affordable rental units in the last two years, assisted 1,545 people with homeownership opportunities, completed about 34 home repairs and reached 3,843 people through community development programs.
Acknowledging the scale of the problem, Chavez presented local affordability data: she said rents and home prices have risen far faster than incomes since 2016 and described rising rent burden among local renters. "Nearly half of all renters are spending more than 30% of their income on housing, and many are spending over half," she said.
Chavez outlined models the city is studying, including land-bank–style approaches and developer partnerships used by other municipalities. She cautioned that some financing approaches, such as bond measures, can raise taxes and described alternatives that use city land and trust funds paired with RFPs to secure long-term affordability.
On tenant protections and vouchers, Chavez said Section 8 and project-based vouchers are administered through HUD and local housing authorities and that supply is limited; she urged residents to file discrimination complaints through the city’s housing department so officials can investigate and enforce penalties when appropriate.
Chavez closed by urging public participation: the city will publish its annual action plan and open a 30-day comment period and will soon issue RFPs for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and CDBG, she said.
The meeting moved next to a planning-department update and nonprofit presentations; staff stayed after the formal close to answer additional attendee questions.
