CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SIXTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-25-141 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Nichole Rogers, Tammy Fiebelkorn, Renée Grout, Dan Champine, by
request
RESOLUTION
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Appropriating Funds To Serve Individuals Experiencing Substance Use Disorder (Rogers, Fiebelkorn, Grout, Champine, by request)
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APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO SERVE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
WHEREAS, on October 26, 2023, R-23-174 was enacted establishing a policy for the expenditure of opioid settlement monies and requiring that City and County leadership develop a strategic plan on how to spend opioid settlement monies; and
WHEREAS, on April 7, 2025, City Council passed R-25-128 Approving and Adopting The Local Government Coordinating Commission Joint Opioid Settlement Implementation Plan and Appropriating Opioid Settlement Funds; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque’s opioid settlement funding allocation is guided by the recommendations outlined in the List of Opioid Remediation Uses of the settlement agreement in the New Mexico Opioid Allocation Agreement, informed by the Vital Strategies report, and responsive to the targeted eight (8) categories the LGCC identified in its Joint Implementation Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County System Gap Analysis identified individuals experiencing opioid-related crisis require immediate access to specialized care that addresses both substance use and behavioral health needs outside of the emergency department or criminal justice system; and
WHEREAS, the City has constructed a comprehensive stabilization system-including the Medical Sobering Center, First Responder Center, Medical Respite Center, and Recovery Housing-that is designed to reduce repeat overdoses, hospital strain, and incarceration by providing evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services; and
WHEREAS, these centers, once fully operational, will provide capacity for more than 26,000 patient encounters per year, offering low-barrier, trauma-informed services that connect individuals to long-term recovery supports; and
WHEREAS, opioid settlement funding will allow the City to operationalize these centers with wraparound supports, medical staffing, and peer-led engagement, ensuring that the people in crisis receive stabilization and recovery resources without delay; and
WHEREAS, 24-hour access to inpatient treatment is critical for individuals with severe opioid use disorder (OUD); and
WHEREAS, the VOICES New Mexico Study found that 92.4% of individuals experiencing housing instability reported drug use in the past 30 days, underscoring the urgent need for stable recovery housing as a foundational component of overdose prevention and long-term treatment success; and
WHEREAS, the City’s investment in recovery housing will provide long-term, stable housing options for individuals in early recovery, particularly those transitioning from incarceration or unstable environments; and
WHEREAS, the City operates sheltering centers that not only provide emergency housing but also offer onsite services-such as case management and housing navigation-serving as stabilization pathways and a critical entry point into recovery; and
WHEREAS, the City is committed to ensuring full transparency, accountability, and community engagement in the allocation and implementation of opioid settlement funds; and
WHEREAS, the City’s investments prioritize timely, flexible, and evidence-based strategies that deliver immediate impact while building a foundation for long-term recovery.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE
SECTION 1. PROGRAMMING. The departments of Finance and Administrative Services (DFAS) and Health, Housing and Homelessness (HHH) shall create two programs within Fund 201 as follows:
(1) Leveraging the Sobering Center
(2) Recovery Housing
SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION. That opioid settlement funds in the amount of $4,589,736 are hereby appropriated from Fund 201.
(A) LEVERAGING THE SOBERING CENTER. (Vital Strategies Recommendation #15)
i. Intent. These funds shall be used to expand medical support, harm reduction, in-patient treatment, and overdose prevention services. This shall include expanding access to crisis stabilization to help reduce hospital strain by providing services at the First Responder Receiving Area, Medical Sobering Center, and Micro Community Recovery Housing.
ii. Funds in the amount of $2,339,736 are hereby appropriated to the Health, Housing, and Homelessness Department for fiscal year ‘25.
First Responder Receiving Area $1,389,736
Micro Community Recovery Housing $950,000
iii. Funds in the amount of $2,250,000 are hereby appropriated to the Health, Housing, and Homelessness Department for fiscal year ‘26.
Medical Sobering Center $2,250,000
SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY CLAUSE. If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word or phrase of this Resolution is for any reason held to be invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Resolution. The Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Resolution and each section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word or phrase thereof irrespective of any provision being declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid.