What a deal! For $14 million, the city would get 30 shelter beds and some services.
That’s Albuquerque taxpayers’ return on investment under Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis’ proposal to impose a limit on overnight shelter beds at homeless facilities.
Davis’ proposal could totally undermine the city’s plans to convert the sprawling old Lovelace hospital into a robust, 24/7, low-barrier shelter with a wide array of services. And it’s unclear what it would do to provide our homeless population with medical respite care that’s sorely needed to alleviate pressures on local hospitals and emergency rooms.
Davis says he wants to prevent the city from “warehousing” a large number of people in the 572,000-square-foot former hospital or anywhere else. His proposal would impose restrictions for overnight shelter beds based on zoning, with an upper limit of 100 beds in manufacturing zones and business parks. The mixed-use zone where the old Lovelace hospital is located w