City Councilor Dan Lewis Proposes Legislation to Re-direct Funds for Safe Outdoor Spaces

August 12, 2022

At the City Council Meeting on August 15, 2022, Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis will introduce legislation; R-22-65, which amends the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget to re-designate the $750,000 in funding for Safe Outdoor Spaces to provide funding for homeless and near homeless veteran support services.

The legislation would also remove all $500,000 of Capital funds that were appropriated for Safe Outdoor Spaces and would appropriate those funds for continued renovations to the Gateway Center.

“As Council is considering the moratorium on Safe Outdoor Spaces, I think it’s important that we re-appropriate those funds in order to get these services to people who need them,” said Councilor Lewis. “These funds are more useful if they can be used immediately, instead of waiting for the possibility of Safe Outdoor Spaces.”

R-22-65 will be introduced Monday and will be heard for final action at the September 7, 2022, City Council Meeting.

On the agenda for action at the August 15, 2022, City Council Meeting is the proposal for a moratorium on Safe Outdoor Spaces; R-22-56 and Councilor Lewis will be proposing an amendment to further clarify the applicability of the moratorium to prohibit the acceptance or approval of any pending applications for Safe Outdoor Spaces until August 1, 2023, or upon final action by the City Council on O-22-33. The amendment will also prohibit the City from entering into any agreements that would allow such use of City property for Safe Outdoor Spaces.