ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – While the city awaits approval to convert the old Lovelace Hospital into a sleeping facility, Albuquerque officials plan to accommodate up to 100 people and 25 on-site. There were many concerns about the future gateway center. Mayor Keller once assumed that the shelter in the former Gibson Medical Center could have up to 300 beds. Some neighbors said it was way too much.
Ivan Wiener says: “I think there is definitely a middle ground. We have already told the city that we are okay with people who need services, but there cannot be more than 50-75 beds in this place. “
But now those plans could change. The numbers are not final, but the city expects the shelter to accommodate up to 100 people and 25 families.
One woman who KRQE spoke to said this was a good first step in getting the help they need. “Now there seems to be no more services, and we have all of these people who really need intense behavioral and mental health intervention that are receiving none of it,” says Suzan Gordon.
In a recently released operations plan, the city said people at the Gateway Center will be referred by police, first responders and hospitals and taken in around the clock.
City leaders say there will be 24/7 security. “We check the Gibson Health Hub radius daily to make sure there are no warehouses in the immediate area,” said Lisa Huval, assistant director of housing and homelessness.
City officials say a “family” is defined as four people. On September 21, the city will hold a hearing to obtain a “conditional use permit” for the project.
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