Progress at the Gateway Center Continues

Today, Mayor Keller and the City of Albuquerque announced that construction is now complete on the Gateway’s Housing Navigation Center, overnight beds for individuals as they transition to stable housing, and the Engagement Center, which provides wrap around services on site for clients. The Housing Navigation Center brings 100 overnight beds to the Gateway.

“This month, clients are moving in to this beautiful space where they’ll work to get back on their feet and into stable housing,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “There’s still more to do to make sure Albuquerque has the resources we need to tackle our toughest challenges, but opening these doors is a critical step.”

Albuquerque Community Safety and local homeless service providers are able to refer clients to Gateway. As clients and staff transition, the program capacity will expand.

Operated by Heading Home, the program at Gateway builds on the success of the hotel-based Family Housing Navigation Center—which has permanently housed over 1,000 people since December 2020—and works to stabilize clients in around 90 days. Both the Gateway and Family housing programs have dedicated city-funded housing vouchers to help clients find housing more quickly and ensure they have the supports needed to remain housed.

Community agencies are also getting ready to move into the Engagement Center offer complementary services to Gateway clients on their journey to stability. Providers include Western Sky Community Care for Medicaid enrollment and healthcare referrals, the City’s Animal Welfare Department for pet services, and the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions for employment navigation.

The build-out continues on the other services of the Gateway Center—Medical Sobering, Medical Respite, and the Receiving Area for First Responders. Together, these services add new and needed resources to Albuquerque’s system of care for people experiencing homelessness, taking burdens off of emergency services and providing clients with more appropriate care for their needs.

“We’ve done the research to show us where our system is just not serving people the way it needs to” said Director Carol Pierce. “What we’re providing at Gateway will address historic equity barriers, help more people exit homelessness, and provide connections to resources so that folks don’t fall through the cracks.”