Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tenant Protections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Las Cruces and county staff point to hotlines, handbooks and training to help renters and landlords
Summary
During the work session the city of Las Cruces and county housing staff outlined resources for landlord-tenant issues and fair housing referrals, and commissioners urged tenant education, courthouse outreach and legal-clinic partnerships to help residents clear title and address landlord abuses.
Commissioners asked whether tenants who face habitability or retaliation concerns have local recourse and how enforcement works. Natalie Green, housing administrator for the city of Las Cruces, told the board the city runs a landlord‑tenant hotline (575‑528‑3022), distributes over 1,000 landlord‑tenant handbooks in English and Spanish, and refers complex fair‑housing complaints to HUD’s fair housing team. "We do have a hotline so residents can reach out, and we do take county calls," Green said.
County housing staff and commissioners discussed tenant education and the Fair Housing Act as part of the department's outreach portfolio. Andrade said the housing department will include tenant and landlord education modules among its first programs and will coordinate with legal clinics and New Mexico Legal Aid; commissioners suggested establishing probate and legal clinics in outlying communities and working with magistrate court to reduce access barriers for tenants seeking relief. Acting county management staff noted code enforcement and upgraded duties for environmental/codes staff are being retooled to address noncompliant housing, while commissioners asked staff to explore materials and courthouse outreach to lower barriers for tenants and owners seeking legal help.
