Handling Homelessness

Unhoused, unsheltered, homeless.

Regardless of the term used, the fact remains there are hundreds of people in Valencia County who end their day knowing they won’t be sleeping in a home that night.

If they’re like Jesse, nights are spent at a friend’s house, moving from place to place and relying on the patience and generosity of others.

“I used to have a drug problem and my mom couldn’t have me around,” Jesse said, explaining how he became homeless. “I don’t have a problem anymore but she doesn’t believe me.”

Sitting at the Valencia County Resource Center on Third Street in Belen, Jesse says while he goes from house to house, he tries to stay out during the day, so he doesn’t wear out his welcome.

The resource specialists at the center have helped him get his birth certificate so he can take the next steps to rebuilding his life, as well helping with basic necessities, such as clean clothes.

To get back on track, Jesse said he would ideally be able to get a vehicle so he could work.

“I could have my old job back in Albuquerque if I had a vehicle. Any good job is in Albuquerque,” he said. “I’m not some bum looking for handouts. I’m not a freeloader. I don’t like this.”

Resource center director Noelle Chavez said since the causes of homelessness are myriad and variable, the solutions need to match.

“We need different types of transitional housing for different types of populations — youth, families, seniors, people dealing with substance misuse, with mental health issues,” Chavez said. “We need more immediate access to substance treatment. When someone says they’re ready to get help today, it’s today. If there’s a bed available in three weeks, we’re probably going to lose them.”

To get a better grasp on the increased unhoused population in the village of Los Lunas and Valencia County as a whole, Los Lunas deputy village administrator Erin Callahan said the village partnered with Valencia County and the city of Belen to submit a congressionally-directed spending request for a housing and homeless needs assessment.

The funding will be used to conduct a robust study of the homeless population in the county.

“Because this is a newer issue for us, we don’t have a lot of data on the homeless population,” Callahan said. “We don’t have any recent studies. We are not studying the problem over and over. It’s time to go in and do this kind of assessment so we can understand where our people are routinely located, what the unsheltered population we typically have. We don’t even have that data.

“The studies done have mostly been concentrated around bigger cities. This will help ID the gaps where we are and lay a foundation to understand what we could do to make a difference and what good first steps are.”

Callahan said staff would like to bring ideas and strategies to the council to address the issue of homelessness in the community, and they are also talking to programs in Albuquerque to see what service gaps they’re seeing regionally.

“This is not just a Valencia County problem. It’s not unique to Valencia County or Los Lunas, and it’s not because we’re unwilling to help. The problem is increasing everywhere and everyone is trying to understand,” she said. “There will be more discussions throughout the year.”

Chavez and members of the Community Advocacy Team, a tax-exempt organization formed last year to serve youth and families in Valencia County who need help accessing existing services and advocating for additional services, recently visited the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope. Colloquially referred as a “tent city.”

The program, located outside the city of Las Cruces, is a collaboration of faith organizations, community leaders and homeless service providers. Incorporated in 1993, MVCH is now comprised of five agencies with a shared vision of helping those in the most need in their community.

“We are hoping to find solutions, even a temporary location for these folks to exist,” Chavez said. “There’s funding available through the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority for infrastructure. It can’t pay for land but it is open to projects similar to the Las Cruces one. It might be the most cost effective thing we can do in a shorter amount of time. It is long-term camping but it allows people a place to exist and a centralized location for resources.”

The MVCH is a solution that doesn’t rely on a local government agency, Callahan said.

“We do have a network of great nonprofits doing great work to help address the homelessness issues,” she said. “In many cases supporting an existing nonprofit or program doing great work could be much easier than creating a new government program.”

Summer Ludwig, who is part of CAT, which started with a focus on youth needs, says she’s “always had a strong connection to the unhoused.” That connection goes beyond basic human empathy. As a child, Ludwig experienced extreme poverty and, for a while, her family was homeless.

“At the time, as a child, I didn’t realize we were homeless. I knew we were living in a tent with a group of people and, eventually, we got a little RV with the same group of people,” Ludwig said. “It wasn’t until recently I thought back and I was like, ‘Oh, wait ...’”

The family of four — her parents, Ludwig and her sister — were homeless for nearly a year after a move to a new state for a job that fell through.

“My parents weren’t addicts; they weren’t criminals. For my sister and I — with the caveat that I was a child and might not have the clearest memories — it wasn’t the worst time. I’m sure for my parents, it was. Even though we were homeless, we were incredibly lucky that we had family and support. So many folks just don’t have that.”

Members of the organization quickly realized homelessness and housing insecurity were huge issues facing local youth and families, she said. She is hopeful the federal funding requested by Los Lunas and Belen will come through so solid data about the local situation can be gathered.

“I know some folks have expressed frustration about another study. It’s the first step to accessing greater funds. We need to be cohesive and have a good plan in place,” she said. “We want people to know there’s a wide cross section of folks involved and different views being represented.

“We are trying to approach the situation with what’s best for Valencia County. We know business owners and residents are having a difficult time with the increased presence of unhoused folks, so we are really trying to be cognizant of all those view points and assist on each level.”

Anyone interested in becoming involved in the Community Advocacy Team can send an email to communityadvocacyteam@gmail.com or visit catvc.org.

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Belen Mayor Robert Noblin expressed some frustration about the state’s promise of funding to address the issue of homelessness but lack of a plan to deliver.

“Although the governor states the money is available to assist, there is no clear plan on distributing those funds until ‘really good plans’ are in place, according to her,” Noblin said. “In my opinion, this is leading to more studies, more data gathering and, in the interim, more people becoming homeless while the state flounders for true direction and a plan.

“The city of Belen is glad to partner with other local entities and there has been a lot of local activity with the Valencia County homeless initiative to seek out funding to help.”

Hypothetically, with an endless supply of funding, an adequate number of shelters with appropriate mental health counseling resources and substance treatment options could be provided, as well as occupational instruction, the mayor said.

“There would be adequate domestic violence shelters as well. All this should be geared towards the goal of helping to create better and equal opportunities to change their current circumstances,” he said.

The mayor continued, saying every interaction and assistance to those experiencing homelessness should come with information about local resources, including the Valencia County Resource Center.

“That may provide a starting opportunity. Abatement requires businesses ... be diligent in notifying local authorities of illegal or questionable behaviors and actions. Local authorities, in turn, must be diligent in following up, however every interaction should include the mention of available resources,” he emphasized. “Someone with the investment ability may be wanting to provide low-income housing or apartments, and there are several parcels of property to do so.”

Chavez is confident with an investment of $200,000, in conjunction with grants to offset staffing costs, she could create a program that could house 10 families a year.

“If someone wants to write a check, I could make it work,” she said emphatically.

The Valencia County Resource Center, 129 S. Third St., Belen, provides free services to anyone 18 and older. The center is open 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m., Friday and 12:30-5:30 p.m., Sunday.

Resource specialists at the VCRC can help with basic needs, referrals to services, links to community resources, assistance with paperwork, applications and vital documents, employment and education navigation, assessments for needs and strengths and case management services.

The center welcomes donations and assistance from the public, but asks that donors call in advance to determine how to best help. The center can be reached at 505-584-8225 or 505-584-8236.