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A BLUEPRINT FOR NEW MEXICO'S FUTURE

Confronting Homelessness with Compassion and Action

Sam Bregman’s Plan to Reduce Homelessness

Tackle Homelessness with Urgency

Homelessness is growing across New Mexico, especially in Albuquerque, where the homeless population has been rising by nearly 18% each year and a person living on the streets dies, on average, every four days. We need to build a system where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.

 

Many homeless individuals suffer from mental health and substance abuse challenges. We need to help them.

 

I will ensure that state agencies on the newly formed Behavioral Health Executive Committee address the needs of those who are homeless and I will require substance disorder and/or mental health treatment be provided for those who need it.

 

I do support requiring people - often unhoused - who consistently break the law in minor ways and who refuse treatment to INVOLUNTARILY enter into substance abuse or mental health treatment, which might include incarceration. New Mexico has invested heavily in behavioral health treatment. Let’s get people the help they need so they do not reoffend, get off the street and back on their feet.

As governor, I will:

  • Cut homelessness statewide in half in my first two years, with sufficient infrastructure to continue to make record-setting reductions in homelessness in the years to follow. New Mexicans need to see real progress, not just ribbon cuttings.

  • End homelessness for veterans, youth, and survivors of domestic violence – three groups who should never be left behind.

  • Build a statewide data system that integrates hospitals, shelters, and service providers, tracking who is homeless, what services they need, and whether programs are effective. Providers receiving state dollars will be required to report outcomes. This will allow us to see if we are really making progress and ensure effective use of taxpayer dollars.

  • Launch a Governor’s Homelessness Dashboard to track progress toward housing people in the first year so that New Mexicans see the results in real time.

  • Strengthen immediate shelters and pathways to stability. We will follow the proven Housing First model by getting people into permanent housing as quickly as possible. Shelters must be more than a bed for the night; they must serve as shortterm entry points that connect people directly to permanent housing and the supportive services that help them stay housed and rebuild their lives. I will:

  • Set a statewide One-Stop Hub standard. Too many shelters in New Mexico are just warehouses. I will require every statesupported shelter – whether in Las Cruces, Gallup, or rural counties – to provide meals, showers, laundry, case management, and job services. A new state grant program will tie funding to performance and services provided, not just the number of beds.

  • Fix Gateway and make it deliver results. I will ensure Gateway lives up to its original design working in partnership with local entities to support behavioral health and housing funds to expand treatment beds, navigation staff, and transitional units, and I will require clear outcome reporting so the public can see whether it is helping people move into stable housing. If it delivers results, even Gateway, which has faced challenges in the past, could serve as a model that we can replicate in other regions of New Mexico.

  • Upgrade the Westside Emergency Housing Center, which remains the state’s largest shelter and the only facility that can house hundreds of people immediately, especially in winter and the middle of the summer when demand surges. I will increase operating funds to add staff, extend bus service to connect residents with jobs and services, and contract with providers and nonprofits for on-site case management, physical and behavioral health care including addiction recovery, and job training. Under my plan, these facilities will anchor a stronger system that protects people in crisis while connecting them to permanent housing.

  • Add capacity across the state. Outside Albuquerque, I will convert motels and hotels into transitional housing using state appropriations and federal HUD funds. I will expand wellness hotels for families through a state-local matching fund, so children are never left on the streets. And I will deploy modular units and tiny-home villages in high-need areas, using expedited permitting to move quickly.

  • Expand permanent supportive housing. New Mexico has only a fraction of the supportive housing units it needs. I will expand permanent supportive housing that combines rental assistance with behavioral health care, recovery programs, and job training. This will be funded through Medicaid waivers, state general funds, and opioid settlement dollars dedicated to recovery housing.

  • End homelessness for veterans, youth, and survivors of domestic violence. I will expand veteran housing vouchers and supportive housing targeted at PTSD and addiction. I will launch statewide transitional programs for youth aging out of foster care and LGBTQ youth, building on small nonprofit pilots in Albuquerque. And I will expand domestic violence shelters with dedicated funding for culturally specific and pet-friendly facilities.

  • Prevent homelessness before it happens. The most effective way to reduce homelessness is to stop it before it starts. I will:

  • Expand rental assistance to help families cover rent when they face setbacks like job loss or medical bills.

  • Create eviction diversion programs. I will partner with the courts to expand mediation and rental relief before an eviction is finalized.

  • Launch employer partnerships. I will match employer contributions to rental deposits or down payments, supported by tax credits for businesses that help their workers secure housing.

  • Strengthen community partnerships. We cannot solve homelessness without a community-wide response. I will partner with local entities, Tribes, nonprofits, and faith-based groups to expand culturally appropriate housing and services statewide, recognizing that homelessness is not just a government problem – it is a community problem requiring a community solution.

New Mexico’s housing crisis demands bold action on every front: helping families buy their first home, building more affordable rentals, cutting red tape so we can build faster, and tackling homelessness with urgency and compassion.

 

We will expand homeownership, lower rents, and speed up construction while ensuring shelters connect people to stable housing. With clear goals, accountability, and the courage to stand up to powerful interests, we can make visible progress and protect families across the state. Together, we will build a New Mexico where every child, every veteran, and every family has a safe place to call home.

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