CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FIFTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-22-36 ENACTMENT NO. ______________________
SPONSORED BY: Fiebelkorn, Benton, Davis
RESOLUTION
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Directing The City Administration To Develop Operating Procedures For Safe Outdoor Spaces (Fiebelkorn, Benton, Davis)
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WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque's most recent 2021 Point-In-Time Count showed at least 1,567 people in Albuquerque were experiencing homelessness; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque currently does not have enough shelter space to house the entire homeless population in Albuquerque; and
WHEREAS, the current crisis of homelessness is impacted by a broad number of other societal challenges, including the growth of poverty and inequity, and the erosion of state and federal investments in our criminal justice, mental health, substance abuse, foster care, and safety net systems, which have compounded a crisis that requires the response of not just government, but the entire community; and
WHEREAS, unregulated homelessness encampments can be found in all areas of the City in various, often unsafe, places; and
WHEREAS, service providers report difficulty in providing services to homeless individuals on an ongoing basis due to the transient nature of homeless; and
WHEREAS, many individuals who are experiencing homelessness report barriers to staying in congregate shelters where they are forced to separate overnight from a spouse or an animal; and
WHEREAS, individuals experiencing homelessness deserve safety with ability to maintain similar autonomy to what housed individuals might enjoy; and
WHEREAS, many cities nationally are experiencing great success with Safe Outdoor Space concepts; and
WHEREAS, the City's focus on solutions for people who are homeless should be a roof-over-head and services to connect individuals with a pathway toward long-term housing, however, the current capacity of our housing and homeless services continuum ...
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