[Editor's Note: This is part 1 of a multi-part series of articles on the Grant County Commission work session held on Feb. 13, 2018

By Mary Alice Murphy

A special meeting set before the work session to talk about funding to make improvements at Bataan Memorial Park to facilitate collegiate baseball was canceled. Commissioner Gabriel Ramos had worked with Sen. Howie Morales to try to get the funding, but Morales let him know the morning before the meeting that he had not succeeded in acquiring the necessary funding for the project.

Representatives of SPIN (Supporting Persons in Need) gave the first presentation at the Grant County Commission work session of Feb. 13, 2018.

Dr. Barbara Mora and Christina Wolford teamed up to talk about their ideas for a permanent housing solution for the homeless population.

Mora said the proposal will support the Stepping Up Program at the detention center. "We have talked to a developer, Blue Line, which will build affordable permanent housing. They will provide management for the project who are trained in dealing with this population. Many of those targeted for the project have substance abuse issues."

Wolford said they are still looking at land. "None of the pieces of land came together. Our goal is to submit the project to the Legislature next year. But today, we are here to ask the county to adopt an affordable housing plane. The county and the city have possible land available for the housing."

"We run into objections from some people," Mora said. "The homeless have trouble getting out of their situation on their own."

Commissioner Harry Browne asked if the requested resolution would be part of the county's comprehensive plan."

Wolford said it is part of the city's comprehensive plan. "Priscilla Lucero of the Council of Governments has information on a resolution."

Grant County Manager Charlene Webb said housing is part of the county's comprehensive plan. "But affordable housing is a separate issue."

"I would like to hear more of an overview," Brown said when the presenters asked for questions. "This seems really different from what we usually deal with as commissioners."

Wolford said the homeless are people who cannot be served in the regular rental system. "They have mental issues and substance abuse issues."

The project would have 24 units with 24-hour support services for potential crises. "Police would be able to bring them to the units, instead of to the detention center or to the hospital, where they don't really belong."

"The expectation," Mora said, "is that we would place them on an individual basis. Some have schizophrenia, many of the veterans have PTSD. Some are raising children. There are possibly up to 100 homeless children. They attend school. They couch surf to sleep. Each individual has his or her own reason for homelessness. Because they are homeless, they cannot get an ID, they have no address, so can't qualify for HUD. This would be a foot up. I say it's mercy and forgiveness. All will be given a chance."

Ramos said it sounded like a great program. "But what is in the process to help them?"

"Our purpose is to give them a place to sleep," Wolford said. "They can't address other illnesses when it's a struggle for survival. If they have housing first, other things start to fall into place."

Commission Vice Chair Alicia Edwards, who was running the meeting in Chairman Billy Billings' absence, asked: "Isn't some substance abuse self-medicating?"

Mora said: "Yes. Data is available. For instance, some are bi-polar. Sixty percent also have substance abuse issues. If they get treatment for the bi-polar, it can help. Substance abuse is often the symptom of despair."

Wolford said housing could be the difference between success and failure. "It is support to give them a better quality of life."

Webb asked how the 24 units would fit in with what the Gospel Mission does.

"I met with Marsha," Wolford said. "The Gospel Mission does emergency shelter. We are looking at permanent shelter. Blue Line plans to have emergency shelter as part of the units, too. In the winter, many come down out of the mountains for shelter. They live up there in the warmer weather but come down in the colder weather."

Mora said SPIN is collaborating with other services, such as the Gospel Mission, the jail, the hospital, St. Francis Newman Center and other churches. "We are already talking about how we can work together."

Webb noted that SPIN, on its proposed timeline, wants to have its land by August of this year. "Where do you want it? In town, near town?"

"We are looking at one place not far from downtown and Boston Hill, near 10th Street owned by the city," Wolford said. "But it's not easy to develop. Wherever we build will add value to the property."

Mora said they have talked to an architect in Albuquerque, who has built similar projects. "It would be energy efficient. At first, we talked about transforming an existing building, such as the old jail, but it would be extremely hard to redo and might trigger things in those who might have been held there. We were told that it is more expensive to transform an old building. Then, there's the whole HUD issue. We're hoping we can get project-based vouchers. We want to keep the conversation going and hope to keep you updated."

"Are there other facilities in the state that we can look at?" Kasten asked.

Wolford said Albuquerque just finished one. "A lot have been done in Colorado, Iowa and Utah. This is the first in New Mexico outside Albuquerque."

Kasten asked where debt financing would come from. Wolford said the NM Mortgage Finance Authority.

"How will you pay operating expenses?" Kasten asked.

Wolford said HUD and the developer Blue Line gives back a quarter of what it makes to the project. "The state awards tax credits. Blue Line has investors. We would commit to providing services for 35 years and then it would belong to us."

She said the first step for the county is to adopt an Affordable Housing Plan.

The presentation opposing a border wall will be covered in the next article