Bills to improve access to housing and prevent homelessness now head to the Senate

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, the House of Representatives voted to advance three key pieces of legislation to help improve housing affordability and accessibility, and address homelessness across New Mexico.

House Bill 253, which would help New Mexicans secure stable housing by sealing eviction records for cases that are old, incomplete, or unsuccessfully pursued by the landlord, passed by the House by a vote of 38-25.

Currently, even if a tenant wins an eviction case or an eviction request is dropped by the landlord, the tenant is listed in public record as being involved in an eviction case, which can make it difficult to secure housing in the future.

This bill would seal records of eviction requests that have yet to be heard in court or that were ultimately denied by a judge. It would also seal all eviction records after a three year period. Records for court-ordered evictions would remain public for three years.

"Too often, old or misleading eviction records can become a 'scarlet letter' that prevents New Mexicans from securing safe and stable housing," said lead sponsor Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe). "This legislation makes sure folks aren't denied rental opportunities because of eviction cases they won or that were dropped. It also provides a clean slate for renters after three years with no further evictions, so they can fairly compete for available housing."

The bill is also sponsored by Reps. Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces), Kristina Ortez (D-Taos) and Cristina Parajón (D-Albuquerque).

The House also passed House Bill 453 by a vote of 47-16. This legislation would help New Mexicans with less than ideal credit secure housing while limiting risk for landlords to rent to these individuals. The bill creates a Housing Creditworthiness Assistance Program within the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA), which would educate renters on the importance of budgeting, credit worthiness, and their responsibilities as tenants. It would also provide assurance to landlords by reimbursing them for any unpaid rent or property damages from program participants within the first 12 months of their lease.

"House Bill 453 helps New Mexicans improve their creditworthiness so they can secure and maintain housing, while also providing a safety net for landlords," said lead sponsor Rep. Janelle Anyanonu (D-Albuquerque). The bill is also sponsored by Rep. Marian Matthews (D-Albuquerque).

House Bill 448, which passed by a vote of 49-17, would establish a state Office of Housing Planning and Production to address housing and homelessness challenges across New Mexico. The office would work to align state, local, and private resources to help reduce housing costs, increase housing availability, and expand services for unhoused New Mexicans.

"Our state is facing a growing housing crisis. Low inventory and soaring prices have left far too many New Mexicans cost burdened by their rent or even facing the risk of homelessness," said lead sponsorRep. Meredith Dixon (D-Albuquerque). "This legislation will consolidate our resources to make sure we're effectively utilizing all available tools and programs to expand access to affordable, safe, stable housing across our state."

This legislation is also sponsored by Reps. Janelle Anyanonu (D-Albuquerque), Cristina Parajón (D-Albuquerque), Cynthia Borrego (D-Albuquerque) and Senator Michael Padilla (D-Albuquerque).

These three bills are part of a slate of legislation introduced by House Democrats this session to address the rising cost of living by helping to raise pay and strengthen benefits for working people, protect consumers from corporate greed, and lower the costs of essentials, like housing, healthcare, and groceries.

Below is a non-comprehensive list of House Democrats' legislation this session to lower costs and improve quality of life for New Mexico families:

Housing & Utilities

Directing $110 million to targeted housing development, including transitional housing, with a focus on Bernalillo and Doña Ana counties (HB 2)
Making $45.9 million available to housing providers to focus on specialized housing solutions and a strategic response to homelessness (HB 2)
Improving access to housing and protecting renters from discrimination (HB 98, 339)
Allowing public utilities to implement additional rate structures intended to reduce utility costs for low-income customers (HB 91)
Increasing property tax exemptions for veterans (HB 47)

Healthcare & Childcare

Delivering $15 billion in state and federal funding for Medicaid and other critical healthcare services (HB 2)
Increasing funding for the Early Childhood Education and Care Department by $170 million, or 21.6%, to greatly expand pre-K, childcare assistance, and more (HB 2)
Launching a pilot program to provide financial support for grandparents or other relatives raising the children of a family member (HB 252)

Groceries & Everyday Goods

Improving food security with $10 million in annual funding for food banks (HB 2)
Establishing a commission to study and make recommendations on how to reduce grocery store prices and improve local supply chain issues (HB 17)
Eliminating unfair pricing by ticket resellers (HB 26)

Workers & Career Development

Raising minimum pay for workers on publicly-supported projects (HB 6)
Stopping employers from taking credit card fees out of the wages of tipped workers (HB 22)
Providing New Mexicans with job protection and financial support when they welcome a child, fall ill, or need to take care of a loved one (HB 11)
Providing a 4% average salary increase for public school personnel, raising minimum teacher salaries by $5,000 per license level, and increasing funding for employee benefits so educators and school staff can keep more of what they earn (HB 2)
Expanding access to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program within New Mexico (HB 69)
Providing free high school equivalency testing and preparatory services (HB 167)

Members of the public are welcome to attend floor sessions and committee meetings at the New Mexico Roundhouse, and can tune in virtually through the New Mexico Legislature's Webcasts tab. Public comment can also be provided in-person, and via phone or Zoom as directed on the daily schedule.