ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)- People are finally getting a glance at what a new emergency shelter for the homeless in Albuquerque could look like.
The city hopes to break ground on a centralized shelter in Albuquerque as early as 2021. The 300-bed facility would help families with children and single adults.
The conceptual designs were just unveiled at a city and county government meeting this week. The designs show the shelter would have room for pets and storage.
Right now, the west side homeless shelter is 20 miles from downtown. City Councilor Pat Davis said it costs $1 million annually to transport people back and forth.
He said the new shelter would help cut some of the cost due to a more centralized location and offering services to help get people off the street.
“We know that we can house people for far cheaper by giving them wrap-around services for behavioral healthcare and getting them support for their addiction issues,” Davis said.
The city has already secured nearly $1 million in capital outlay money approved by the state legislature to start the architectural design. They will need another $14 million for construction.
People can vote for or against it in the November election. During the government meeting this week, the city said at least 1,500 people are homeless in Albuquerque on any given night.
