In S.F., who survives, who thrives when crisis hits?

My work with New Mexico State University is focused on mobilizing New Mexicans to ensure all families can access 10 vital services for surviving and thriving — including safe and affordable housing. Little did I know I would be seeking help with emergency housing when I suddenly found out I had no place to live. I, along with 49 other households living in Railyard Flats apartments, was without electricity one minute, then told to vacate my home the next. There are so many unknowns regarding what happened to our building’s electrical systems in our state-ofthe-art apartment complex in the heart of oh-so-beautiful Santa Fe.

So many questions

Why did the electrical system fail? Why would it take three or more months to fix? Why is the distribution chain impacting access to parts? Why can’t someone fly to China (or wherever) to get parts? Was the building’s system up to code when it was built? Who gave the owners a green light on the system before it took in residents? What rights do tenants told to vacate have? Should parents with kids be threatened with living in a car, a shelter in Albuquerque or on the streets of the City Different?

Vulnerabilities

It might take months and court cases to figure out the entire “power is off so find a place to live until lights come on — if they come on” story. My reason for writing is that I am struck by how vulnerable we all can be. From my work, I know that up to 30 percent to 50 percent of some New Mexico communities lacked easy access to safe housing, health care and secure food before the pandemic. Today, we are continuing our surveying in 15 counties to assess if access to vital services got worse.

Railyard Flats, my former stable residence, houses (or “housed”) a mixed-income population, with many who thought they were comfortably middle class that usually goes with being safe and secure. While we certainly saw a ton of disruption to our lives during lockdown, those of us lucky to have jobs with benefits were grateful to be stable during the unpredictable pandemic. Stability appears to be more of an illusion in what some are calling the post-pandemic build-back-better phase.

I’m not one to be alarmist, but I do find myself wondering about the stability of our utilities, Wi-Fi, drinking water, access to affordable gasoline and distribution chain for food. One friend joked, “Hey, it’s only one building in Santa Fe, not the beginning of an infrastructure meltdown apocalypse.” I didn’t find that funny.

I’m thinking about our vulnerable neighbors in my now-empty shell of a building, including families along with those with severe health conditions. I am in communication with our suddenly homeless activist-building residents to explore setting up a fund to help those without the resources to secure a safe and affordable home base. I have heard from our mayor, who wants to help, along with state leaders. Altruism is most welcome.

A question

With my work in Santa Fe and other counties across New Mexico, we survey parents to ask, “To what degree can you access safe, secure housing and other vital services?” I never thought I would be pondering that question. In this era of disruptions, it might be prudent for all of us to ponder just how vulnerable we all are.

Dominic Cappello is the co-author of “100% Community: Ensuring 10 vital services for surviving and thriving,” free of charge to download at www.100NM.org.