For the last eight years Naomi Martinez was chronically homeless, occasionally staying at friend’s houses, but without a home of her own.
After applying with almost 15 different organizations, though, Martinez contacted the Supportive Housing Coalition of New Mexico and now has a studio apartment that is hers and hers alone.
“There is nothing more gratifying then being able to put a key through the door, turn that key and walk in and close that door,” Martinez said. “It’s yours, you don’t have to worry about people coming in and taking it from you, you don’t have to worry about somebody hurting you, you don’t worry about being out in the cold.”
Mikayla Ortega, resource and communications director for the Supportive Housing Coalition, said the organization helps find permanent housing for chronically homeless people, and has done so for more than 400 people so far.
People like Martinez, who was housed in just two months through the Heading Home Initiative because she has a physical disability – Martinez lost both of her legs to infections caused by heroin addiction – and was chronically homeless. However, for most, the wait may be up to three years through other resources such as The Housing Choice Voucher, also known as Section 8, which is a city program, she said.
The Supportive Housing Coalition helps with move-in and eviction prevention assistance, crisis housing and the Housing First Initiative, she said.
Hank Hughes, executive director of New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness, said the coalition helps write grants for the Continuum of Care program and helped the Supportive Housing Coalition of New Mexico start.
The Continuum of Care Grant aims to fund certain programs such as prevention, street outreach, emergency shelter and transitional housing and permanent supportive housing, according to the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness website.
“We have a lot of case managers around the state working really hard to get people into housing and they are always faced with waiting lists and lack of housing,” Hughes said.
Traditionally, the only option homeless people had to sleep indoors was going to a homeless shelter. There are 20 homeless shelters located throughout Bernalillo County, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to a 2013 report from the Coalition to End Homelessness, there are at least 3,000 homeless people in Albuquerque on a given day, although the report notes that an exact count is impossible to achieve.
However, Hughes said shelters are not sufficient and can’t solve the problem by themselves.
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“A shelter in itself is not housing and it is very stressful for people to live in one, even the really good ones. So that’s the main problem with shelters and why we are really concentrating on getting people out of shelters and into housing as quickly as possible,” Hughes said.
Martinez said that although she still faces many serious challenges, finally having her own permanent home has made things much easier. She said she hopes others will be able to find the help they need too.
“It’s depressing. I think it’s the lowest point in your life that anyone can be ... Some people don’t choose to be homeless, they are homeless,” Martinez said.
Lauren Marvin is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
