Public Safety, Housing and Homelessness: Issues Important to Albuquerque Families Top City Funding Priorities List

Today, Mayor Tim Keller and City leaders shared the administration’s capital priorities for the upcoming 2025 New Mexico Legislative Session. The requests focus on keeping Albuquerque families safe and getting more of our residents on a pathway to housing, enhancing key public safety investments and expanding housing and homelessness solutions. 

“This has been a pivotal year for Albuquerque with significant breakthroughs on some of the biggest and most important projects the city’s ever seen, we need to keep pushing forward,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “We’re asking our lawmakers in Santa Fe to continue to support these vital programs and keep the momentum moving forward.” 

The City of Albuquerque has outlined a strategic plan to address the housing crisis, turn the tide on homelessness, and reduce crime through targeted investments. By partnering with the State, the City aims to build on recent progress and address decades of underinvestment in essential services and systems. 

The City’s 2025 Legislative Priorities Are

Public Safety  

• Emergency police vehicles to equip officers to fight crime  
• State-of-the-art crime fighting technology: Body cams, tasers, license plate readers, mobile surveillance units, smart cameras, crime lab equipment, in-vehicle cameras 
• Funding for construction and improvements of fire stations  

Solutions for Housing and Homelessness  

• Funding to expand Gateway Network and add additional capacity of overnight beds, case management, and other supportive services  
• Micro-communities - Funding to support the purchase and construction of pallet homes to create safe micro-communities to combat homelessness 
• Improved homelessness data infrastructure to track available beds, voucher systems, and other data points to ensure an effective response to homelessness 
• Housing - Funding for affordable housing construction, improvement and rehabilitation in every quadrant of Albuquerque, including critical supportive housing and facilities rehabilitation 
• Investing in construction and improvements to transitional housing for Veterans in Albuquerque  
• Funding to convert underutilized hotels to housing  
• Funding to acquire land and to construct, improve, and equip housing through the City and County's joint affordable housing agreement 

Placemaking and Quality of Life for Albuquerque Families  

• Rail Trail - Funding to construct phases of the Rail Trail to create an iconic and artistic pedestrian parkway that reflects Albuquerque's vibrant history and cultural diversity. 

The 60-day session begins on January 21, 2025.