New Mexico

Homelessness in New Mexico has increased by 48% in the past year

Published

6 months ago

December 18, 2023

Homelessness in New Mexico has increased by 48% in the past year

Pastor Joanne Landry shows the shower facility outside the Compassion Services Center in southeast Albuquerque, Oct. 30. (Photo by Caleb Scott/Cronkite News)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – After declining for almost a decade, New Mexico’s homeless population has increased by 48% from the previous year. According to a report released by the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, this spike is primarily due to housing shortages and rising rents.

The report said rents in New Mexico increased by 70% from 2017 to 2021 while wages increased by 15%. Zillow reports the average price for a home in New Mexico in January 2017, was $173,063; in the current market, the average New Mexico home has increased to $293,040. For the U.S. as a whole in the same period, the average price for a home went from $206,839 in January 2017 to $346,653 in 2023.

To combat housing costs, the Albuquerque Housing Authority, AHA, has implemented a voucher program for low-income individuals. Households assisted through the Housing Choice Voucher Program pay 30% of their income toward rent. AHA pays private landlords the difference between what participating households pay and the rent for the units. Through this program, the AHA says, over 4,000 Albuquerque households receive rental assistance.

“If you look at the minimum wage, someone would have to work two or three jobs just to get an apartment,” said Tony Watkins, the continuum of care coordinator with the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness, a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 by a group of nonprofit agencies and the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority

Watkins said that in addition to race and gender identity, “landlords cannot officially discriminate against someone based solely on social class,” under the human rights ordinance. One of the things the coalition will be working on for the next legislative session is eviction prevention.

Watkins said that there is institutional racism built into the system that disproportionately affects certain groups of homeless individuals who should be receiving support. “We have way too many Native and Indigenous people that have been undocumented as experiencing homelessness.”

According to Watkins, this racism can be traced to the program begun in 1934 by the Federal Housing Administration to insure home mortgage loans. “Ninety percent of those loans for the first 20 to 30 years went to white families,” he said. “Insurance companies backed by the federal government deliberately would get a map and draw red lines around neighborhoods that weren’t considered worthy. And most of those people were inner city and people of color.”

These affected communities were denied credit to either buy or fix up their houses, Watkins said. The racial makeup of Albuquerque reflects this. Most of the white population lives on the eastern side of the city, where housing costs are higher, while the majority of the Hispanic population lives on the inner and southwest side of the city.

Discrimination was prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 “concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, (and as amended) handicap and family status,” according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Despite the Civil Rights Act, the legacy of decades of discrimination is still seen, including in this study from the Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center that showed in 2019 “only 44.6% of Black households, 48.1% of Latinx, and 57.1% Indigenous, Asian, or Pacific Islander households owned their homes compared to 73.7% of White households.”

“I think the system is not designed in a way that people really know exactly where to go to get the help that they need,” said Monet Silva, executive director of the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. According to Silva, many of the coalition’s programs provide support to individuals and families where they most need help, such as with mental illness.

The Compassion Services Center in the International District of Albuquerque on Oct. 30. (Photo by Caleb Scott/Cronkite News)

“We need that intensive support for families on their own terms in their own home, focusing on their strengths to help them problem-solve because families are the best solutions to their problems,” Watkins said.

The coalition administers housing programs both in Albuquerque and throughout the state for people who are homeless. It maintains a local, centralized database of information on clients and their needs that enables the organization to coordinate services with partner providers throughout the state. People are evaluated to determine individual vulnerabilities, disabilities and factors such as whether someone is a survivor of domestic violence.

Alexandra Paisano is the coordinator for the coalition’s Coordinated Entry System, a process whereby people experiencing homelessness can access quick and streamlined services. She said that Albuquerque consistently gets about 200 new household applicants per month, and the number of people per household can vary from two to nine. The coalition recently received funding from Albuquerque to put people in a transitional phase into hotels.

Nearly half of all renters in Albuquerque spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to city data. To classify as low income, an individual must have an income at or below 80% of the area median income, AMI. Very low income is classified at 50% of the AMI and extremely low income is at 30% of AMI. The AMI is classified each year by HUD.

The coalition keeps an accurate count of the homeless population, tracks the patterns of services used in the state and tracks patterns of homeless causes and needs.

“It’s a way of rebuilding the system to have a binding list of everyone that is experiencing homelessness so we know exactly who they are and what their needs are so we can address those head-on and be able to get them into housing or the support that they need,” Silva said.

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New Mexico

Firefighters Make Progress in New Mexico

Published

5 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

Firefighters Make Progress in New Mexico

Recent rains and cooler weather are helping more than 1,000 firefighters gain ground on two wildfires in southern New Mexico on Saturday that have killed two people, destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands to flee. Fire crews took advantage of temperatures in the 70s, scattered showers, and light winds to use bulldozers to dig protective lines while hand crews used shovels in more rugged terrain to battle the fires near the mountain village of Ruidoso, the AP reports. The South Fork Fire, which reached 26 square miles, was 26% contained, while the Salt Fire, at 12 square miles, was 7% contained as of Saturday morning, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Full containment was not expected until July 15, per the agency. The wildfires destroyed or damaged an estimated 1,400 structures. Other fallout from the fires—including downed power lines, damaged water, sewer and gas lines, flooding in burn scars—continued “to pose risks to firefighters and the public,” according to a Saturday update from the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Evacuations near Ruidoso and road closures were still in effect. In Ruidoso, full-time residents will be allowed to return Monday, though everyday life won’t return to normal. “You’re going to need to bring a week’s worth of food, you’re going to need to bring drinking water,” Mayor Lynn Crawford said on Facebook.

President Biden issued a disaster declaration for parts of southern New Mexico on Thursday. Much of the Southwest has been exceedingly dry and hot for months. Those conditions, along with strong wind, whipped the flames out of control, rapidly advancing the South Fork Fire into Ruidoso in hours. Evacuations extended to hundreds of homes, businesses, a regional medical center, and the Ruidoso Downs horse track. Nationwide, wildfires have scorched more than 3,344 square miles this year—a figure higher than the 10-year average, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

(More New Mexico stories.)

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New Mexico

Highest-rated beer in New Mexico, according to BeerAdvocate

Published

12 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

Highest-rated beer in New Mexico, according to BeerAdvocate

(STACKER) – If you drink beer—any beer—you’re probably familiar with the craft beer explosion that began in the late 2010s, and you likely fall into one of two camps: IPA warrior or lager loyalist. The great thing about a beer-related revolution is that there is no wrong side. Whatever your preference, cheers to you.

The brewery business is indeed a revolution by many counts. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the United States grew by 567% from 2003 to 2023—all while beer consumption, on average, was declining. For the first time since 1999, beer shipments fell below 200 million barrels in 2023, making it the lowest amount of beer consumed in the U.S. in a generation.

Like all revolutions, this began as a desire for change—as an overthrow of the old and the monopolistic. When combined, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 72% of total beer sales in the U.S. around 2013. A decade later, that share dropped to 65.7% in 2023, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share.

With a taste of the innovations and variety coming out of craft breweries, consumers are demanding a higher-quality product—and are willing to pay more for it. Over the last decade, between May 2014 and May 2024, beer prices have risen 21% overall.

But how can you determine the best craft beers in an increasingly crowded market? If you’re curious about the most popular beers in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated beers in New Mexico using ratings from BeerAdvocate. A maximum of five beers per brewery were included.

#24. Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch

– Rating: 3.94 (13 ratings)
– Type: Kölsch
– ABV: 5.00%
– Brewery: Steel Bender Brewyard
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#23. Agua Fria Pilsner

– Rating: 3.96 (10 ratings)
– Type: German Pilsner
– ABV: 5.30%
– Brewery: Second Street Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#22. Easy Cactus

– Rating: 3.97 (12 ratings)
– Type: Vienna Lager
– ABV: 5.00%
– Brewery: Bow & Arrow Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#21. Scenic West

– Rating: 3.98 (11 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.50%
– Brewery: Bow & Arrow Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#20. Pendejo Porter

– Rating: 3.98 (11 ratings)
– Type: American Porter
– ABV: 8.20%
– Brewery: Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery – Silver City
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#19. Scotia Scotch Ale

– Rating: 3.96 (62 ratings)
– Type: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
– ABV: 8.40%
– Brewery: Bosque Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#18. IPA

– Rating: 4.0 (13 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 6.10%
– Brewery: High Desert Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#17. 2920 IPA

– Rating: 3.99 (18 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 6.90%
– Brewery: Second Street Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#16. Exodus IPA

– Rating: 4.0 (48 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.50%
– Brewery: Canteen Brewhouse
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#15. Chocolate Milk Stout

– Rating: 4.02 (42 ratings)
– Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
– ABV: 5.40%
– Brewery: Boxing Bear Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#14. Marble Red Ale

– Rating: 4.0 (280 ratings)
– Type: American Amber / Red Ale
– ABV: 6.50%
– Brewery: Marble Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#13. Double White Ale

– Rating: 4.01 (168 ratings)
– Type: Witbier
– ABV: 7.00%
– Brewery: Marble Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#12. Sucker Punch Double IPA

– Rating: 4.07 (17 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.50%
– Brewery: Boxing Bear Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#11. Germophile

– Rating: 4.11 (20 ratings)
– Type: Berliner Weisse
– ABV: 5.00%
– Brewery: Rowley Farmhouse Ales
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#10. Imperial Java Stout

– Rating: 4.04 (1,085 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Santa Fe Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. Marble IPA

– Rating: 4.05 (513 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 6.80%
– Brewery: Marble Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. Double IPA

– Rating: 4.06 (170 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Marble Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. Desert Fog

– Rating: 4.1 (52 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.80%
– Brewery: Marble Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Project Dank Autumn Edition

– Rating: 4.29 (19 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.50%
– Brewery: La Cumbre Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#5. Tonal Bliss

– Rating: 4.37 (12 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 7.20%
– Brewery: La Cumbre Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Scale Tipper IPA

– Rating: 4.24 (51 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 6.20%
– Brewery: Bosque Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Father Nelson

– Rating: 4.33 (182 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 10.60%
– Brewery: La Cumbre Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. Elevated IPA

– Rating: 4.34 (1,638 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.20%
– Brewery: La Cumbre Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. Project Dank

– Rating: 4.4 (917 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.50%
– Brewery: La Cumbre Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

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New Mexico

New Mexico heavy rain and flash flooding prompt mandatory evacuations in Las Vegas

Published

19 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

by: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Associated Press

Posted: Jun 22, 2024 / 03:37 AM EDT

Updated: Jun 22, 2024 / 03:37 AM EDT

Heavy rain and flash flood warnings in New Mexico prompted officials to order mandatory evacuations for parts of Las Vegas with shelters set up for displaced residents.

The National Weather Service office announced a flash flood emergency on Friday night through early Saturday. The impacted areas included Las Vegas and communities near Albuquerque.

Up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) had fallen by late Friday with additional rainfall up to 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) expected overnight, the weather service said.

There was flash flooding with multiple road closures on the north and west sides of Las Vegas, the weather service said.

The Las Vegas municipal government announced mandatory evacuations of parts of the city in social media posts, warning residents to prepare for overnight stays. The city said it established shelters for residents on the west and east sides of the city.

The city government asked residents to limit non-essential water use, while also clarifying that online rumors suggesting the city’s water dams had broken were false and that the dams “are currently intact.”

New Mexico also suffered devastating wildfires this week that killed at least two people and forced thousands to flee from the flames. The South Fork and Salt fires in south-central New Mexico destroyed or damaged an estimated 1,400 structures. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham planned to tour the disaster area Saturday.

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