09/21/2026 Santa Fe and the Unhoused Community

Published September 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM MDT

internet forum concept with key on computer keyboard

What does it mean for a city to respond to homelessness—and what does that response look like from the perspective of someone who has experienced being unhoused?

This week on THE FORUM, we turn to Santa Fe’s unhoused community and the complex challenges facing the city as it works to respond. Our guests bring two very different, but complementary, perspectives to the conversation.

Carina Julig, city reporter for The Santa Fe New Mexican, helps us understand the issue from the perspective of city policy, management, and the decisions being made about how Santa Fe responds to homelessness. John Bacon, peer support manager at The Life Link and a former member of the unhoused community, brings the perspective of lived experience and his work supporting others who are navigating homelessness.

Their conversation looks at the issue from both sides—from the challenges of managing a citywide response to the very personal realities of experiencing homelessness—and considers the people, policies, and perspectives at the heart of the conversation.

Host: Patrick Davis
Co-Host: Daniel James
Guests: Carina Julig, The Santa Fe New Mexican
John Bacon, The Life Link