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Wednesday, August 06, 2025Question For The Day: Why Does Housing Crisis Persist In The Face Of Hundreds Of Millions In Government Spending? Two Projects Offer Answers, Plus: More Crime Beat And NM Redistricting Pondered
The short answer is that building "affordable" housing is anything but. Looking at two developments coming on line in Las Cruces drives the point home. In January, officials broke ground for Amador Crossing, a 50-unit permanent supportive housing complex on the campus of the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope, where residents can access case management, food and health services. $14.2 million of the projected $15.6 million cost has been secured. What is not mentioned is the cost per unit for this development. That comes in at a hair-raisng $315,000 each for those 50 units. That's how fast the crisis burns through nearly $16 million in state, local and federal housing money. Another Cruces development amplifies the point and the math: In May, Las Cruces officials and property developers formally opened a $22 million complex offering 70 apartments for low-income renters built on vacant city land. This one also comes in at $315,000 per unit. We did find one Las Cruces development that averaged $215,000 per unit--still no bargain. Cruces puts it housing gap at 5,600 units. Assume public funding is used to build 2,500. At $300,000 each to construct, the total would be a staggering $750 million. Even at a cost of $215,000 per unit the outlay would be an enormous $537 million. ABQ estimates its housing gap at around 5,000 units so the shocking math applies here as well. So why are housing experts maintaining that spending these massive amounts of public dollars on housing is the most effective solution to the shortage? Because facilities like shelters or jails often cost $31,000 to $44,700 per person a year without addressing root causes like housing scarcity. Building housing, even at $315,000 per unit, remains cheaper in the long term than the recurring costs of institutionalization or homelessness, The problem is daunting and exacerbated by an era of vast income inequality and rising housing costs that persist. That's why what seems like enormous public housing expenditures may actually be only putting a finger in the dike. CRIME BEAT Tuesday we reported on APD's stats showing a decline in crime in the city in the first half of 2025. Here is some follow-up with this news: Crime nationally decreased in every category in 2024, including murder, violent crime and motor vehicle thefts, according to data released by the FBI on Tuesday. It reflects a trend experts have been tracking as reported numbers of violent crimes continue to drop from a spike immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic. While the report included good news, a violent crime still occurred on average every 25.9 seconds in the United States last year, according to the FBI's annual Unified Crime Report. . .This year's report used data submitted by 16,675 different agencies, which the FBI said covers. . .about 95.6% of U.S. residents. REDISTRICT HERE?  Joe, given the presidentially-inspired redistricting hijinks playing out in our neighboring state, perhaps majority NM Dems should consider using the special session to make the 2nd congressional district even more Rep. Gabe Vasquez-friendly than many think it currently is. Game on, n’est pas? "Is not?" is the question posed by frenchmanAndre. But, no, the game is probably not on. Vasquez won his southern-based congressional district by 10,000 votes in 2024 with strong showings in Bernalillo and Dona Ana counties. The 2nd Congressional District has already been gerrymandered plenty so there's no need for legislators to order Brian Sanderoff and company to start penciling in new boundaries. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. |
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