New Mexico
Lengthy to-do list before NMFA begins approving $125 million in new housing loans • Source New Mexico
The head of the state’s finance authority tasked with doling out a windfall of housing loans said the authority is on track to OK loans in the fall — so long as what she called the “timeline gods” are merciful.
In the legislative session that wrapped up in February, lawmakers approved $125 million for the New Mexico Finance Authority to spend on workforce housing development and affordable housing infrastructure. Workforce housing is generally aimed at those who exceed income thresholds that would qualify them for subsidies.
It’s a big windfall for the relatively new Opportunity Enterprise Revolving Fund created in 2023 for commercial development and then amended legislatively to include housing. Under the new law this year, the fund will be used to address the statewide housing crisis. The state lacks at least 32,000 affordable housing units, according to a recent study.
Citing the pressing need, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, when she signed the legislation in late February, challenged the authority to approve loans by the fall.
Marquita Russel, CEO of the authority, told Source New Mexico on Friday that the authority has much to do before it can get that money out the door, and staff will be “threading the needle” to get it done by then.
House Bill 195, which goes into effect May 15, requires the authority to add new board members with expertise in housing and also create new rules governing the loan program. State rulemaking requires 45-day public comment periods, and the new board won’t be able to approve the initiation of draft rules until they convene after the law goes into effect.
The rules will be subject to multiple hearings, and the board will have to incorporate public comments once they are submitted, Russel said.
“It’s a lengthy process,” she said. “It requires a lot of transparency and public hearing, and then notices, so it can’t happen quickly.”
NM housing agency predicts increase in foreclosures on home loans it oversees
But when the application process opens, she hopes by late summer, private developers will have access to low interest loans to help build roads, sewers and other infrastructure to affordable housing projects or to build new housing for people, like many police officers and teachers, who can’t afford to live in the communities where they work.
The fund as it exists now provides commercial loans at 60% of the Wall Street Journal prime interest rate on the day it is issued. That rate Friday was 8.5%.
Russel said she’s not sure whether the funds will go primarily for affordable housing infrastructure or workforce housing, or whether it will go to nonprofits or private developers. But she added that she believes there is a high demand for workforce housing and few places for developers to go for financing.
Lawmakers this session also approved $50 million for the Mortgage Finance Authority’s Housing Trust Fund, which is geared for affordable housing programs and development.
Taken together, the $175 million — plus $20 million to address homelessness and other individual housing projects — is the biggest housing investment in the Legislature’s history, aimed to boost new development of low- and middle-income housing.
Another bill passed this session, Senate Bill 216, adds nonprofit housing developers to a list of possible recipients of low interest loans for the NMFA’s Public Project Revolving Fund. That fund was established in 1992 for local government projects, but amended to let nonprofit housing agencies apply.
However, Russel said no nonprofits who apply will be authorized to receive that money until the next legislative session, when lawmakers sign an annual bill approving recipients.
But Russel said she hopes that fund, when it’s finally available, will end up becoming the go-to source of capital for housing nonprofits, leaving the $125 million fund for for-profit developers, “because there isn’t another place for those,” she said.
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Grant’s Monday Night Forecast
A few evaporating rain showers are possible again Tuesday with warmer temperatures. Windier weather later this week will bring a high fire danger back to New Mexico.
It’s been a warm day with a few isolated showers and thunderstorms across central and northern New Mexico. Some of that rain has made it to the ground, while other showers have evaporated before reaching the surface. Temperatures have climbed into the 70s and 80s for most of the state. Showers will fade after sunset, with mostly clear skies overnight and mild temperatures.
Even warmer weather is on the way Tuesday with lighter winds. More areas will reach the 80s by the afternoon. A few spotty showers will develop again, especially near the mountains, with some of that rain evaporating before reaching the ground.
Winds pick up Wednesday afternoon, with gusts between 25 and 45 mph. This will begin another stretch of high fire danger across the state. The strongest winds arrive Thursday, with westerly gusts of 35 to 55 mph. That will expand the fire danger statewide. A dry cold front will move through Thursday as well, but temperatures will only drop slightly, ending up closer to average.
Breezy conditions continue Friday through the weekend as the jet stream pulls more moisture into New Mexico. That will bring increasing chances for rain and thunderstorms this weekend, with a few lingering into early next week.
New Mexico
Landlord AC ordinance, Rio Grande water levels, Spotty rain, New legislative office, New Mexico Motorfest
Monday’s Top Stories
Monday’s Five Facts
[1] ABQ City Councilor aims to bolster protections for renters amid unseasonable warmth – Albuquerque city councilor is looking to make sure city landlords are not only providing cooling systems, but also ensuring they actually work when they’re needed. City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn spearheaded an ordinance in December of 2024, requiring all Albuquerque rental properties to have a cooling system. Now, Fiebelkorn is taking it a step further, hoping to establish cooling system performance requirements. The ordinance is expected to be voted on in final action at Monday’s city council meeting.
[2] Rio Grande showing dry spots in Valencia County amid record-low snowpack – Portions of the Rio Grande are now seeing dry spots earlier than expected. Officials say the timing is not normal. In Valencia County, parts of the river are already running dry. Near the river crossing in Los Lunas, the river has open pockets. Further south, it is being reported as dry as well. There is a slight positive outlook for the monsoon season, with forecasters and officials predicting a strong season in the Middle Rio Grande Valley.
[3] Very spotty rainfall, warmer, & mostly calm week – Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground. Temperatures will continue to increase through the middle of the week.
[4] NM representatives celebrate grand opening of new office with open house – A new state legislative office made its debut for representatives Eleanor Chavez and Yanira Gurrola. The new location is just one of the handful of new legislative offices now open across the state. They hosted a grand opening for the building that was open to the public. Representative Gurrola says it’s just one step towards modernizing the state’s legislature. The new office will allow residents to stay more connected to each representative.
[5] New Mexico Motorfest 2026 takes place in celebration of Route 66 Centennial – Another Route 66 celebration took place over the weekend and this one was all about cars. The New Mexico Motorfest happened at the Expo New Mexico racetrack. Over 300 vehicles from classic hot rods to lifted trucks were featured at the event. Some of the proceeds went to New Mexico veterans.
New Mexico
Los Alamos Public Schools Students Compete At 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair
Students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School, and Los Alamos High School at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair at New Mexico Tech. Photo CourtesyLAPS
LAHS junior Tate Plohr and freshman Linus Plohr qualified to attend the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May in Phoenix, Ariz. Photo Courtesy LAPS
Los Alamos Middle School student Branden Keller was awarded the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair. Photo Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
Twenty students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS) and Los Alamos High School (LAHS) competed, with several garnering awards at the 2026 New Mexico State Science and Engineering Fair held at New Mexico Tech in Socorro.
LAHS junior Tate Plohr qualified to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) next month in Phoenix, Ariz. He was awarded the 3rd-place Grand Award. Freshman Linus Plohr qualified as an alternate and will also be attending the Regeneron ISEF.
Students who participated in the state competition include, from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Sydney Chen, Mary Beth Kelsey, Lily Neale, Aurora Roberts Voss and Henry Rodarte; and Glyn Lo and Ernest Maupin, Mountain Elementary.
Students from LAMS who competed include Evelyn Fobes, Mason Garcia, Andrew Gilbertson, James Junghans, Sequoya Ke, Brandon Keller, Nejan Liyanage and Daniel Yampolsky.
LAHS students Julia Neale, Linus Plohr, Tate Plohr, Lilia Veteva, Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch competed at the senior level.
2026 Award winners:
Category Awards – Junior Division
- Animal Science, Cellular & Molecular
- Biomedical & Health Science
- Honorable Mention: Sequoya Ke
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, Software & Technology
- 2nd place: Nejan Liyanage
- Physics & Astronomy
- 1st place: Sydney Chen
- 2nd place: Mason Garcia
- Honorable Mention: Marybeth Kelsey
- Plant Science
Category Awards – Senior Division
- Behavioral & Social Science:
- Honorable Mention: Linus Plohr
- Earth & Environmental
- Honorable Mention: Lilia Viteva
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, & System Software
- 3rd Place: Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch
- Physics & Astronomy
Grand Awards
- ISEF finalist 3rd place: Tate Plohr
- Brandon Keller received the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. James Jungans and Marybeth Kelsey garnered Thermo Fisher Awards.
Other special award winners include:
- CO2 & Greenhouse Reduction Awards (Junior Division)
- Daniel Yampolsky, 2nd place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Sequoya Ke, 1st place, Biomedical & Health Science
- Brandon Keller, 1st place, Energy & Materials Science
- Andrew Gilbertson, 1st place, Physics & Astronomy
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award (Senior Division)
- Lilia Viteva, 1st place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Office of Naval Research Award
- David Shortess Award
- New Mexico AVS Award
- Citadel Award
- Naval Research Award
- NM Network for Women in Science & Engineering Award
- Yale Science & Engineering Award
- Rose Baca Rivet Award
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