Homeless people in Santa Fe are beginning to experience a new type of temporary housing that looks and feels like living in a small village of individual houses instead of a larger group shelter.
Each so-called micro-community will be located on private or city owned property. A small # of tiny pre-fab portable shelters will house 1-2 people each & will be located at sites throughout the city.
Santa Fe launched its first micro-community at Christ Lutheran Church on Arroyo Chamisa in early 2024.
On October 18 - roughly six months after the first micro community launched - mayor Alan Webber announced his intention to vastly expand the pilot program as part of his more broadly focused homeless initiative the mayor's plan to expand the program is both ambitious and a welcome commitment to addressing homelessness according to partner organizations we spoke with.
But expansion of the program faces real challenges.
The city will be speaking more about its Micro Communities program at a future community education forum. The original meeting date, set for November 19, as mentioned in this story, has been postponed. Return to this page for an update.
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