What to know: ABQ’s first pallet home campus

The city unveiled plans Monday to develop a transitional recovery housing campus with 50 pallet homes, but with just a handful of specifics. Since then, we’ve heard from City Desk ABQ readers wanting to know more so we tracked down some answers. 

The project — the first of its kind in Albuquerque — was allocated $5 million by the Albuquerque City Council at its April 15 meeting in a close vote. The money will come out of the city’s opioid settlement funds. Bernalillo County is pitching in another $800,000.

The $5.8 million development, to be located at a former state Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) site in Northeast Albuquerque, is in the initial stages of planning and development. The Health, Housing & Homelessness (HHH) Department is overseeing the effort and says the need is urgent — Albuquerque and other cities across the country are grappling with ways to assist those experiencing substance abuse issues and homelessness simultaneously. Many in need of such services arrive at already strained overnight shelters that aren’t equipped to offer addiction treatment and other wrap-around services.

“We know that the need for treatment and recovery programs is very high, and recovery housing is considered a best practice to help people struggling with substance use to both maintain stable housing and their sobriety,” HHH spokesperson Katie Simon said. 

While the city does not yet have details about how existing structures at the former MVD site will be used, pallet home campuses often include bathrooms, laundry rooms, community rooms and offices.

City Desk ABQ asked Simon to provide more details about the project. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

City Desk ABQ: Where will the city acquire the pallet homes?

Simon: Pallet Shelter is a company that manufactures and sells prefab shelter structures in a few configurations. We have been working with them on a concept, but do not have a purchase agreement or other commitments to them as a vendor.

How far will the $5.8 million allocation go?

At a high level, we anticipate (spending) between $1.4 to $2.15 million in capital expenses and between $1.3 to $1.7 million in operations for two years. 

How will the campus be operated?

Now that the allocation has been approved, the city will move forward with developing an RFP (request for proposals) and creating a site plan. Until we have an RFP developed and a provider on board, we won’t have details about the exact operations and intake criteria, though the use of opioid settlement funds does mean that this recovery housing will serve folks in recovery from opioid use.

Will you hold community meetings about the project?

We will do a community engagement process, and look forward to sharing more as we move forward.

Anything else you’d like to share?

We are also looking forward to the results of a feasibility study that will likely be published next month assessing the current landscape of recovery housing programs in Albuquerque and the level of care they deliver.