CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SIXTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-25-201 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Renée Grout
RESOLUTION
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Preserving The Name “Juniper Flats” For The Property Located At 25 Hotel Circle NE (Grout)
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PRESERVING THE NAME “JUNIPER FLATS” FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 25 HOTEL CIRCLE NE.
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque has committed to developing a variety of housing solutions that meet different needs, ensuring that facilities and programs are named appropriately and operated to reflect their distinct missions and populations; and
WHEREAS, the Gateway System is a comprehensive network of facilities and services designed to address homelessness by providing pathways to housing, treatment, and support for individuals and families; and
WHEREAS, Juniper Flats will serve as a critical housing resource for older adults who have experienced homelessness or are at risk of becoming unhoused, providing lasting stability, safety, and dignity through permanent affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, many low-income senior citizens worked hard and dedicated their lives to strengthening our community during an era that preceded 401(k) and IRA retirement savings plans, relying instead on the promise that Social Security would provide for their needs in retirement, only to now find themselves in urgent and growing need of basic, affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, seniors deserve to live with dignity and respect, and their homes at Juniper Flats should be recognized as independent affordable housing, not mistaken as part of the Gateway shelter system; and
WHEREAS, the funds proposed for rebranding or signage should instead be responsibly invested in meaningful amenities and services that directly enhance the quality of life for the senior residents; and
WHEREAS, the comfort, dignity, and well-being of residents must take precedence over any effort to impose shelter-related branding on Juniper Flats, which serves as permanent senior housing, not a shelter; and
WHEREAS, the property at 25 Hotel Circle NE is not a homeless shelter, but rather a residential community providing essential, affordable housing for adults over the age of 55 with limited incomes, and its name should reflect its role as a valued part of the broader community, with residents who are vital members of that community; and
WHEREAS, the name "Juniper Flats" coveys the image of a warm, welcoming apartment community, while "Gateway Senior" suggests institutional or shelter settings, reinforcing stigma and undermining trauma-informed principles of dignity and recovery; and
WHEREAS, renaming Juniper Flats under the Gateway brand would risk retraumatizing residents who have already experienced homelessness or housing instability, while diverting limited public funds away from direct resident needs; and
WHEREAS, the preservation of an accurate and dignified name for a City-owned apartment community aligns with the City’s intent to promote transparency, clarity, and trauma-informed housing practices across all programs.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. NAME PRESERVATION. The City Council hereby affirms that the official name of the property located at 25 Hotel Circle NE shall continue to be known as “Juniper Flats,” and directs the City Administration and all relevant departments to refrain from any action that would result in the renaming or rebranding of the property to “Gateway Senior” or any other name without prior Council approval.
SECTION 2. PROHIBITION ON EXPENDITURES. No City or State funds shall be expended on signage, marketing, or other materials that reference the property by any other name than “Juniper Flats,” unless expressly authorized by the City Council.
SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY. 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.
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