April 24, 2024

Stansbury and Vasquez announce $16 million in federal funding to help homeless

U.S. Representatives Melanie Stansbury and Gabriel “Gabe” Vasquezannounced $16 million in federal grants earmarked for 28 nonprofit organizations across New Mexico that offer services to homeless individuals and families. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will administer the grants. Vasquez, who represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, told reporters during a press conference […]

Susan Dunlap

U.S. Representatives Melanie Stansbury and Gabriel “Gabe” Vasquezannounced $16 million in federal grants earmarked for 28 nonprofit organizations across New Mexico that offer services to homeless individuals and families.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will administer the grants. Vasquez, who represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, told reporters during a press conference in Albuquerque that the grant opportunity will enable the nonprofit recipients to budget accordingly but that there is no current timeline for when the funds will be distributed.

Both are Democrats.

“We’ll have to follow up with HUD,” he said.

Stansbury, who represents the state’s 1st Congressional District, spoke of some of the problems of housing and why there are critical affordable housing shortages. She said one issue occurring nationwide is the ability of private corporations to buy up low-income housing to turn the homes into investment properties or for use as rentals through platforms such as AirBnB.

“Housing is a human right and should be available for everyone. They should not have the ability to buy up affordable housing and use it for profit,” Stansbury said.

Stansbury said the Biden administration and Democratic members of Congress are trying to address the issue. She said that a problem occurring in Albuquerque is an increased number of unit owners who are unwilling to allow families who have housing vouchers to use them and move in.

Stansbury said that Democratic state Reps. Andrea Romero, of Santa Fe, and Angelica Rubio, of Las Cruces have sponsored bills in the New Mexico Legislature that would prohibit discrimination on housing vouchers. Stansbury previously served in the state House.

Stansbury said that the federal grants are a part of a larger effort to address homelessness. She said that the state has appropriated what she called “historic amounts of state funding” to support building new housing while these federal grants will go to nonprofits in New Mexico that work with people experiencing homelessness to serve their more immediate needs.

“Far too many New Mexicans have been denied equal access to affordable housing, which hurts every community across the state. That’s why I am thrilled that New Mexico will receive $16 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help end homelessness. This investment will grant 28 organizations in New Mexico the ability to help even more people find permanent housing and grant them crucial access to programs they need to survive,” Stansbury said through a news release.

Vasquez said through the release that the federal grant funding will “get us one step closer to ending the homelessness crisis that has affected our communities for far too long.”

“And let me be clear – I have heard loud and clear from New Mexicans across my district about the gravity of this situation and the urgent need for short-term solutions and relief,” Vasquez said through the news release.

The 28 organizations receiving funds are: