CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SIXTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-24-29 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Joaquín Baca, by request
RESOLUTION
title Appropriation Of Opioid Settlement Funds (Baca, by request)
body
APPROPRIATION OF OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS.
WHEREAS, opioid abuse has devastated communities across the nation, causing immense suffering, loss of life, and economic hardship; and
WHEREAS, legal action against opioid manufacturers and distributors have resulted in substantial settlement funds aimed at addressing the widespread damages caused by this crisis; and
WHEREAS, investing in addiction treatment programs and rehabilitation services can help individuals struggling with opioid addiction to recover and rebuild their lives; and
WHEREAS, providing resources for mental and behavioral health services can help to address the underlying issues that contribute to substance abuse and support individuals in achieving lasting recovery; and
WHEREAS, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identifies ‘Recovery Housing,’ also known as Sober Living Homes, as a vital component to the continuums of affordable housing because sober living homes replicate normal, everyday life situations while instilling healthy habits, helping to reduce the chance of relapse; and
WHEREAS, recovery housing acts as a supplement to an individual’s recovery and is an alternative to going from an immersive care environment straight to a totally unstructured environment at home; and
WHEREAS, Recovery Residences are also designed for specific/special populations such as language, gender, women with children, age, re-occurring problems, medication status, prison reentry to society after incarceration, and those that are unhoused; and
WHEREAS, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a Best Practices for Recovery Housing Guide that informs service types and models for implementation; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted R-23-174 that requires City Council approval to appropriate any opioid settlement funds.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION. That opioid settlement funds in the amount of $5,000,000.00 are hereby appropriated from Fund 201 to the Family and Community Services department.
SECTION 2. USE OF FUNDS.
A. The funds appropriated in Section 1 of this bill are to be used for acquisition, renovation, or expansion of transitional recovery temporary housing shelters as well as providing transitional recovery housing vouchers attached to the units and/or for operational funding to support a project-based recovery housing campus and solicitation for an operator of the transitional recovery housing project.
B. No temporary housing facility funded by Opioid Settlement funds as outlined in this bill shall commence operations until a formal contract for Opioid treatment services, detailing specific treatment protocols and provider agreements, has been duly executed.
C. The transitional recovery housing project funded by this bill shall be located in City Council District 2 or within 0.5 miles of the boundaries of City Council District 2.
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