City council passed an ordinance which eases restrictions on housing developments in some parts of town.
On Jan. 5, Terri Cole, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, signed on to an op-ed that ran in the Sunday Journal regarding the City Council working on a housing ordinance.
At the Jan. 6 meeting, council members heard testimony on 0-24-69 — a proposal from Councilors Dan Lewis and Joaquín Baca to address Albuquerque’s housing crisis.
The ordinance would ease restrictions on housing developments in some parts of town, as well as fast-track housing projects along certain busy corridors, including on Central Avenue, and remove barriers to getting those projects underway.
After 14 amendments, it passed 7-2, with councilors Louie Sanchez and Klarissa Peña casting the dissenting votes.
In the op-ed piece, authored by Sal Perdomo, director of Acquisitions and Development for Titan Development and a member of NAIOP, it said Albuquerque faces crises that touch every part of life in the city.
“Rising housing costs, an increase in the unhoused population, slow job growth and limited access to medical care are problems that need to be addressed immediately,” the op-ed said. “… Housing has become a major problem in Albuquerque. Almost half of Albuquerque’s apartments were built before 1965, and not enough housing exists to meet the city’s growing population. Experts estimate the city needs over 27,000 more units today, not factoring in future growth beyond the estimated pipeline of new jobs. At the current rate housing is being developed, it will take decades for the city’s housing supply to meet the demand.”
According to the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, a regional nonprofit focused on increasing the standard of living in the region and reducing poverty through economic development, access to workforce is the second-most critical site selection factor for corporate location decisions. According to CNBC’s current “America’s Top States for Business in 2024,” New Mexico ranks No. 43 overall.
“Without adequate pathways to solving the housing crisis in a competitive manner we will be unable to educate, attract and retain the critical workforce needed to increase our economic position. When consultants visit the region, according to the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, they ask about workforce housing development, cost and availability before many other quality of life factors, including crime,” the op-ed continued.
There are major obstacles to building more housing. The process to approve housing and commercial projects is long and complicated. The pathway to approval for a development process includes months of hearings and reviews by multiple groups, including neighborhood associations, the Planning Commission and multiple agencies. The process is important and necessary, but even when projects get approval, they can still be held up by appeals from individuals who claim to speak for the community, but often do not represent the majority.
“These appeals have delayed and even stopped important projects, including housing developments, medical facilities and businesses that create important jobs and services for our community,” the op-ed said.
Along with Cole and Perdomo, the piece was signed on to by Ernie C’deBaca of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Alan LaSeck of the Apartment Association of New Mexico, Carla Kugler of Associated Builders and Contractors New Mexico, Kelly Roepke of Associated General Contractors of New Mexico, Nathan Brooks of Commercial Association of Realtors New Mexico, Lana Smiddle of Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico, Todd Clarke of New Mexico Apartment Advisors Inc. and Ian Robertson of ULI New Mexico.