On May 28, the City Council and Mayor’s Office signed legislation that allocates $4.5 million from the opioid settlement to fund three Gateway Center projects.
Each project’s goal is meant to alleviate drug use and homelessness.
The Chamber has been a strong and vocal supporter of the Gateway Center, advocating for the 2019 approval of a bond to make the $14-million purchase of the Gibson Medical Center, as it was called then. It’s been a long time coming, but the Chamber has based its strong support on the proven success of similar models in other cities, where social services are co-located with overnight sheltering and support unhoused people in obtaining transitional and ultimately permanent housing.
In addition to offering overnight beds and access to a handful of services people experiencing homelessness are likely to need, each resident will also be paired with a case manager, a housing case manager and a peer support worker to help them achieve greater stability by the time their stay ends. The facility’s webpage boasts 10 partner organizations located on-site at the Gateway Center, offering a variety of medical and behavioral health services as well as housing navigation and even immigration services.
The three projects are:
- $2.25 million for the Medical Sobering Center, which will provide space for up to 50 individuals to recover from severe intoxication. It is set to open later this summer.
- $1.4 million to the First Responder Receiving Area, a facility where police and other first responders can transport individuals in need of drug and mental health services outside regular hours.
- $950,000 to Gateway Recovery, a city-owned community of 46 tiny homes where individuals recovering from addiction can reside and receive treatment for a year.
According to city officials, Albuquerque will receive nearly $80 million over the next 18 years through the settlement.
As part of the settlement, the money must be used to remediate the effects of the opioid epidemic. The settlement comes after local governments from across the country sued pharmaceutical companies for overprescribing opioids.