Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says the goal of the newly created Housing Investment Council will be to bring New Mexico’s affordable and workforce housing up to pace to meet the demand in the state.
According to state numbers housing rental costs have jumped 70-percent since 2017, while wages have only increased 15-percent.
Lujan Grisham says the state needs to go big on housing and thousands of homes are needed to keep up with demand.
She says the legislature secured more than $82 million last session to address housing and the next step in an investments plan to ensure they make the most of every dollar.
“We want to make sure that we are getting stock built in every community.” she said. “My goal is 30,000 houses in a year, I don’t think we’ll make that but certainly setting a pattern where that could be possible based on the resources will occur. But they look at strategies that deal with the current situation with high risk populations which are unhoused and making it clear that we need more access points for more short term and more long term (housing).”
The executive order directs the council to develop a strategic housing investment plan that addresses gaps in available housing resources, inefficiencies in regulatory and zoning that impact housing development. It also will focus workforce and business shortages in the housing development industries, the facilitation of public-private partnerships and more.
Former House Speaker Brian Egolf is chair of Council. He says the next six months will be a sprint so that they can have a package to present to the legislature. He says he’s looking to have results a year from now.
