Young Family Facing Eviction Receives Support During Crisis
ALBUQUERQUE - A young family facing eviction and struggling to find stability recently received support at a time when they needed it most.
Last December, a couple in their early 20’s with two toddlers were hit with an unexpected rent increase. They were already struggling with meeting their monthly expenses and could not afford the new rate. They now found themselves on the verge of homelessness.
During the eviction process, they encountered an Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officer who offered to help. The officer submitted a referral to the Albuquerque Community Safety department (ACS) to assist the young couple in navigating through their circumstances.
In speaking with the family, Responders learned they had recently moved from Colorado and were in dire need of basic staples for their children, including diapers and bottles. Responders were able to leverage community resources to book the family a hotel room for their first night without a home.
The next day, the department’s Street Outreach team worked to secure the group timely housing at the City’s Gateway Family. ACS was also able to work with the local non-profit, Birthright of Albuquerque, to provide the necessary supplies for the children.
“Our team is here to provide compassionate, immediate assistance to families in crisis,” said ACS Behavioral Health Responder, Abran Aragon. “In this case, we were able to give them a safe place to stay, connect them with essential resources, and help them begin the process of securing more permanent housing.”
With the successful placement at Gateway Family and continued assistance from the ACS Street Outreach team, the family can now focus on their next steps in finding a path to long-term housing.
“If it was not for this teamwork, this young family would have been left in a very vulnerable and uncertain situation,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “It’s important for us to bring together resources from the City and local organizations so families in crisis get the support they need to get back on their feet.”
The ACS Street Outreach team remains a vital resource for families facing housing instability, offering assistance, resources, and referrals to help individuals and families move toward long-term solutions.
###
ACS is the City of Albuquerque’s third branch of public safety. Responders take calls for service involving behavioral health, substance use, and other non-criminal and non-medical issues. Request an ACS Responder by calling 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies.
Through April, ACS is offering its Emergency Overnight Shelter Transportation service from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. If you are or know a member of the unhoused community that requires shelter from the cold, please contact ACS at 505-418-6178 to arrange transportation to a safe, warm location.