Amid ongoing criticism of the facility’s conditions, Mayor Tim Keller and city officials showed off new renovations at the Westside Emergency Housing Center (WEHC) on Thursday and used the occasion to rebrand it — Gateway West.
The upgrades are welcome news for the city, as the sprawling homeless shelter had been a target of substantial critiques for its jail-like atmosphere and deteriorating and subpar conditions — including bug infestations, roof leaks and faulty air conditioning.
The criticisms have not only been voiced by residents and advocates for the unhoused, but by city officials, too. The hope now is that improving conditions will blunt recent comments that the facility is “deplorable” and “horrific, disgusting and triggering.”
Read more about the conditions here.
The city is also on the hunt for someone to operate the facility — a task that so far has not gone smoothly.
The new name connects a bridge to the city’s Gateway Center at Gibson Health Hub in the Southeast Heights — Keller’s flagship project that’s intended to provide a variety of services to those experiencing homelessness. Officials said another reason to use Gateway West instead of the WEHC, is that they no longer consider it an emergency housing center, but rather a “resource open year-round to connect the most vulnerable in our community to hope, healing and housing.”
“We know this shelter is not perfect, but instead of complaining about it, we’re improving it to better serve the hundreds of people who stay here every night,” Keller said. “We’re turning Gateway West into a place of hope that will be fitting of the name Gateway, to connect folks to the help they need.”
Three of 12 dorms and a kitchen have been renovated thus far for the scores of people who stay there — its capacity is about 660. Upgrades to four more dorms are scheduled to be completed by the end of October.
‘Game changer’
The center got a funding boost earlier this year, when the City Council approved the sale of millions of dollars in gross receipt tax improvement revenue bonds. About $4.5 million was dedicated to the facility. The city’s homeless innovations officer, Maria Wolfe, said at the time that the funding was a “game changer.”
Approximately $6 million will be spent on Gateway West, officials said.
Improvements to the dorms include new floors, paint and LED lighting, and updates to bathrooms, showers and the aforementioned kitchen. The city has also acquired new beds in recent months that have a lockable storage feature.
About $1.7 million in exterior improvements are expected to begin after dorm renovations are completed. Those upgrades include new walkways and sidewalk ramps, shade structures, pet areas, outdoor furniture, storage, portable spaces for service providers, paving and improved accessibility for those with disabilities.
The WEHC has also been criticized for the lack of wraparound services available at the site, a situation that is particularly frustrating for critics due to its remote location from areas of the city that do provide services. Currently, residents have shuttle access available between the WEHC and Downtown and International District drop off points, as well as meals and limited medical services.
Officials said Thursday that Gateway West is providing case management for those 60 and older at the site and would soon offer it to all residents.
Still no operator
Meanwhile, the city has struggled to find an organization to run the site and provide services. The search for a new operator and service provider began earlier this year after Albuquerque Heading Home opted not to apply for another three-year contract to operate the facility.
Read more about Heading Home’s exit from the shelter here.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, one councilor asked Health, Housing & Homelessness director Gilbert Ramírez if there was any progress on securing an operator.
“Our [request for proposals] that we put out in March didn’t go well,” City Councilor Nichole Rogers said. “Can you tell me where we are with the operations of the Westside shelter? Where are we at with that contract?”
Ramírez replied that there had been “no viable responses” to the RFP so far, and that HHH was in final negotiations to execute an emergency contract with Albuquerque Heading Home to continue its operations — in order to avoid “gaps in service” at the WEHC.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the number of dorms that will be upgraded.
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