ABQ Times

The City of Albuquerque's vision for a specialty housing navigation center for young adults aged 18-25 is progressing as the city has closed on the purchase of the San Mateo Inn at 2424 San Mateo Blvd NE, in City Council District 7. Acquired for $4,780,000, the hotel will be renovated into a housing navigation center offering age-appropriate wraparound services to help young adults access permanent housing and achieve self-sufficiency.

“Across the community of service providers and government, everyone agrees that we need to do more for young people who need help and support to get housing,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Purchasing this property takes a big step forward towards bringing these services to life.”

“Councilors Grout, Bassan, and I have dedicated several years to securing funding for this project, so it's immensely satisfying to have finally acquired a location!” said District 7 Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn. "The establishment of the Youth Housing Navigation Center marks a significant stride in diminishing youth homelessness in our community. I'm particularly delighted that this vital community resource will be situated in the heart of my council district so unhoused youth will have a resource that is near school, work, transit, and entertainment.”

“Young adults can fall through the cracks if they’re aging out of foster care and other systems or leave home at a young age and have to navigate complicated bureaucracies,” said HHH Director Gilbert Ramirez. “We’re creating a new place where we can support their success and self-sufficiency while they’re young, and mitigate the potential for perpetual homelessness.”

The city will now move into the design phase and pre-construction work. Construction is expected to begin later in 2024.

The need for a new young adult facility was identified by the Homeless Coordinating Council in a 2022 needs assessment of young people experiencing homelessness in Bernalillo County. Closeout funds for the purchase were approved as part of the Gross Receipts Tax bond package passed by City Council on May 6, 2024. Previously appropriated funding for this project has come from the New Mexico State Legislature, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury and Senator Ben Ray Lujan, as well as city funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).