Indian Center offers site for tiny homes village

Vacant lot is in International District on Texas SE

Contrary to the “not in my backyard” message delivered by most residents attending recent town hall meetings on possible sites for a tiny homes village for homeless people, the Albuquerque Indian Center is laying out the welcome mat to its backyard. Literally. The Albuquerque Indian Center at 105 Texas SE has reached out to the county to offer the 1.38-acre vacant lot behind their building as a location for the village of up to 30 tiny homes, District 1 County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley confirmed Tuesday.

“We went to go see it and talked with them, and thought this would be a very good fit,” she said. “It’s a weeded lot and idle space, so it’s not being used to its full potential. This would be a vast improvement for the area.”

While the county has $2 million for the project from a general obligation bond that county voters approved in November 2016, locating at the Albuquerque Indian Center can ultimately save a lot of money, O’Malley said.

Instead of having to buy a parcel of land, the AIC will offer a long-term lease, and would be contracted to provide management and operations services. Savings on infrastructure would be realized because the property already has water, sewer and other utilities.

The AIC building has bathrooms, a commercial kitchen already serving breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday to about 200 people, and more importantly a host of services. These include mail collection for clients, and employment assistance, behav-

ioral health, DWI and substance abuse counseling, said AIC executive director Mary Garcia.

The majority of the clientele at the AIC is Native American, but not exclusively. And residence at the tiny home village will be open to anyone who qualifies.

Homeless adults selected for the tiny homes village “have to be in some kind of program” and on the path to self-sufficiency to qualify for the temporary housing, Garcia said.

Further, AIC is just south of Central Avenue, a major bus arterial, which is one of the criteria for site location.

The property is also south of Interstate 40 and east of Louisiana, where all but one of the original six sites considered are located, and where a large concentration of homeless people congregate.

“We’ve been searching for a way to include housing for about five years,” Garcia said, noting that at one point she suggested placing teepees on the property to be used as homeless shelters.

“The Indian Center board of directors wasn’t too receptive to that idea, but they were extremely receptive to the concept of the tiny homes village,” Garcia said. “We believe it will be a great partnership with the county. We know it’s a pilot project, so we want it to work, and we’ll take care of everything and make sure everything is done right.”

AIC also owns a small building across the street from its main site that could be used for a microenterprise or other activities to help teach skills and provide a revenue stream for the village, Garcia said.

Of course, there’s still a number of hurdles to overcome before any of this becomes a reality.

For one thing, the AIC property is technically zoned for high-density residential usage, such as apartment buildings. Because the design of the tiny homes has them constructed on a chassis with wheels, the property will have to be rezoned for setting up recreational vehicles, something like a Kampgrounds of America site, O’Malley said.

Garcia said that City Councilor Pat Davis, in whose district AIC is located, has already submitted paperwork on behalf of AIC for that zoning ordinance change. The city has to sign off on zoning changes, while the county has to approve the lease, as well as a contract with AIC for management and operations, O’Malley said.

Neighbors and area church leaders generally support the project, both O’Malley and Garcia said.

In a statement, Joann Landry, the Trumbull Village Neighborhood Association president and pastor of Interfaith Bible Church, said she recently organized a meeting of faith leaders.

“We are excited that Trumbull neighborhood will have the first Tiny Home Village in Albuquerque. We are all committed to doing God’s work in reaching out to those who need our help. We know this is going to be a quality development in which we can all be proud,” Landry said.

Decisions also have to be made on what improvements might be required inside the AIC building, O’Malley said. Even though there are restrooms and a kitchen inside the building, a site for communal restrooms and a kitchen for the village must be chosen.

The plan still calls for the village to have lights, 24-hour security and be gated to prohibit access to people who don’t have a reason to be there.

One thing that came out of the series of town hall meetings was the opinion among many that the estimated $17,000 to $20,000 cost for each of the 116-squarefoot homes was simply too expensive.

O’Malley said that the county was in talks with contractors who believe the insulated tiny homes, which will be wired for electricity, heating and cooling, can be built for less using different materials.

Bernalillo County Commissioners O’Malley and James Smith have taken the lead in moving the tiny homes village project forward on behalf of the county, while city Councilor Diane Gibson has been a strong proponent since its inception.

The proposal to place the village at AIC is also supported by Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis, Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, and New Mexico State legislators Mimi Stewart and Debra M. Sariñana, all of whom represent the area.

“Homelessness is a big concern across Albuquerque and nowhere more than here in the International District, Hart Stebbins said. “The neighborhoods and businesses here face that challenge every day and I’m grateful to our community leaders who step up to offer their time, talent and resources to serve people in need.”

She added that the Albuquerque Indian Center “has been stepping up for many years and I look forward to the partnership with them on the development of the first tiny homes village in Albuquerque.”