There was a rising chorus of criticism and concern this week regarding proposed changes to the city’s policy on disbanding encampments located on public property. A vast majority of those who gave public comment at Monday’s Albuquerque City Council meeting expressed unease about updates that would significantly reduce the amount of notice given to those experiencing homelessness before the disbandment process takes place — from the current 72-hours to less than two-hours in some cases.
“Priority 1 encampments” would require little to no notice, according to a draft of the proposed policy obtained by City Desk ABQ. Such encampments are defined as those located within one-block of Central Avenue, where many are typically located.
Other encampments that would be considered priority one are those located within 300 feet of school property, school bus stops and day care centers. The tier includes encampments located within city parks, within 10-feet of a roadway, and those on a highway or off-ramp, sidewalks, alleys, trails and a long list of other areas.
The proposed changes prompted City Councilor Nichole Rogers to pose a question to the city’s Chief Administrative Officer, Samantha Sengel, on Monday.
“Can you provide with your policy a map on where people are allowed to be? There is no place based on your tiers that people are able to be,” Rogers said.
But the City Council doesn’t have the authority to affect the proposed policy changes — something many homelessness advocates think is a strategy by the city at least partly in response to the failed Downtown Vacant Buildings and Properties Ordinance which was voted down 8-1 by councilors in October. The ordinance contained a provision that would have banned sitting or lying on Downtown sidewalks along Central Avenue, among other measures.
For more: City Council ditches controversial sidewalk proposal amid emotional pleas from the public
Health, Housing & Homelessness Department spokesperson Connor Woods said Thursday, however, that there’s no connection.
“This is a routine update,” he said. “The city makes regular updates to our encampment policy.”
Woods said current city policy, which allows for a 72-hour notice and the offer to store personal belongings, was first drafted in 2021 and last updated in 2022.
‘A major change’
Anami Dass, the chair of the city’s Human Rights Board and a longtime advocate for those experiencing homelessness, said any similarity between the current policy and the proposed one is virtually “unrecognizable.”
“The new encampment policy is significantly different from previous versions and should be treated as a major change,” she said. “This policy would attempt to eradicate encampments without ending homelessness.”
Under the proposed changes, priority three encampments would have the longest notice time — a maximum of 36 hours — but still considerably less than the current threshold.
“But nearly every camp will be prioritized as tier one or two, meaning no notice or a 24- hour notice,” Dass said.
In addition, Dass and others say the priority one update along Central Avenue would simply push encampments deeper into residential neighborhoods, potentially causing volatile situations with property owners.
‘Does not address root causes’
Matt Mirarchi, the director of advancement and operations for Albuquerque’s Enlace Comunitario, said he’s also concerned about a lack of “linguistic accessibility” in the proposed changes. As it stands, he said, the policy doesn’t sufficiently take Latino and immigrant communities into account — including those who have experienced domestic violence and are unhoused or living in a precarious situation.
Enlace provides crisis intervention and housing options for mostly women and children who are fleeing domestic violence — often choosing between continued abuse and living on the streets or in their vehicles.
“There’s a lack of recognition that domestic violence is a significant factor in homelessness,” Mirarchi said. “A lot of times, shelters are completely packed — especially the ones for women and kids. Shelter staff is overwhelmed; bandwidth is strained.”
Enlace helped 154 families obtain some form of stable housing last fiscal year, he said, but there’s always a waiting list.
The outreach section of the proposed update has a provision to provide an interpreter or interpreter service to those in encampments that require one. If there is a need for translation, it reads, city personnel will arrange to have written material translated in an appropriate language.
But Mirarchi said the provision is “very nebulous.”
“If they don’t speak English or they are scared or averse to asking for help because of the misinformation they’ve received or been fed by an abusive party, they will most likely remain on the streets,” he said. “It’s like, well, we tried. We offered to get them something translated and to bring it back, but we’re sweeping.”
Woods, meanwhile, said the city is committed to offering shelter and services to those in displaced encampments, especially as winter sets in.
“It is dangerous to be outside in cold, wet weather, and we have beds available for anyone who wants one,” he said. “Our goal is to connect people to services. We are ramping up outreach to offer support and give coats and blankets to those who do not accept services.”
Woods said Albuquerque Fire Rescue and Albuquerque Community Safety personnel have distributed 160 coats, 125 pairs of insulated pants and 100 blankets to those who have recently declined a shelter bed.
Options to weigh in
Dass said she hoped the public would continue to speak out on the proposed policy changes and contact city officials.
“I think if people started to push for the mayor to take public comments — so that City Council [meetings] are not the only open mic in town — I think there might be a way to get the city back on track in terms of human rights and being a city that cares about its people,” she said.
Added Mirarchi: “This should be brought for public comment and debate, rather than a circumvented internal guideline change,” he said. “It does not address the root causes of homelessness, including push factors that put people on the street — rent and accessibility, domestic violence, mental health considerations and the conditions of the shelters.”
Woods said the city’s Mental Health Response Advisory Committee is currently reviewing the draft policy and the city would consider its input before finalization. He said the public is invited to send comments to the committee. Those interested can contact Brenda Vigil-Gallegos at bvigil-gallegos@cabq.gov.
The full draft policy is available here.
The city ALREADY gives no notice when “clearing encampments,” meaning taking– stealing– people’s belongings and throwing them away. That’s what people on the street say.
No matter how many tents, coats, IDs, phones or whatever are donated to people on the streets, no matter how many they obtain themselves, the city keeps taking away everything they have and there is no recourse. I have talked to people who have been through this horror themselves and seen it happen to others.
Each time this happens, we are pushing them further and further into destitution and hopelessness, instead of contributing to them possibly getting off the streets and into a better situation. It makes no sense.