On Wednesday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and other dignitaries were on hand as ground was broken for Amador Crossing, a new affordable housing project in Las Cruces.
Amador Crossing is a new public-private housing complex that will be built in partnership with the City of Las Cruces and Mesilla Valley Community of Hope and is designed for families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, individuals with severe mental illnesses, and low-income families earning between 50% and 80% of the Area Median Income. It will consist of fifty units that will include 25 studio units and 25 one-bedroom units.
Before Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Natalie Green, the housing and neighborhood revitalization administrator for the City of Las Cruces, discussed the need for affordable housing across New Mexico.
“The federal government just put out their latest report on homelessness across the country,” said Green. “Families had the largest increase in homelessness; they had almost a 39% increase. In New Mexico in particular, we are seeing senior citizens become homeless at a faster rate: at least 20% in the Las Cruces area, 60% increases across the state. And so we really want to make sure that we can provide housing for all folks in whatever stage they are.”
Mayor Pro-Tem and District 4 City Councilor Johana Bencomo, one of the dignitaries who spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, listed the challenges for building affordable housing in New Mexico…