Construction is finally underway on a tiny home village in Albuquerque that will serve the city’s underprivileged and homeless residents.According to KOAT, the project cost $3 million and took four years to complete. The new community will be located on land owned by the Albuquerque Indian Center on Zuni Road between Tennessee Street and Texas Street. The area is close to vital services that residents will need, like a bus stop and a clinic. “There were some people who suggested putting it out on the outskirts and far away from the city and those kinds of things, but we thought that’s not going to make it successful,” Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley told reporters.The tiny home village will be considered transitionary housing, and residents will be allowed to live there from three months to two years while they look for a permanent place to live. The site will house 30 tiny homes. Residents will also be given better opportunities for gainful employment. The project was approved by voters in 2016.City leaders say construction of the village is expected to be completed sometime this year, and residents should be able to move in by September or October of 2020.
Newscity: State Activates Emergency Center
New Mexico has activated the Health Department’s operations center to help prepare for potential emergency situations related to the novel coronavirus outbreak.The Associated Press reports that the Department of Health’s Bureau of Health and Emergency Management has activated its operations center in preparation for a possible outbreak of COVID-19—commonly known as novel coronavirus—in New Mexico.Officials say the activation will allow authorities to coordinate and make better-informed decisions in case of an outbreak. DOH Cabinet Secretary Kathy Kunkel told reporters that the move is a step “to assure New Mexico is ready for any emergency.” The state health department has tested 57 individuals for COVID-19 as of this writing, and none were found to have contracted the virus.
Newscity: Parties Release Convention Results
Last week, the state’s Democratic and Republican parties hosted pre-primary conventions to select candidates to appear on the primary ballot.For the Democrats: Congresswomen Xochitl Torres Small and Deb Haaland are running without opposition in the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts. In District 3, Teresa Leger Fernandez and Laura Montoya will be on the ballot. For the open Senate seat, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan is running unopposed. For Republicans: Michelle Garcia Holmes and Jared Vander Dussen will be running for the 1st Congressional District. In District 2, Yvette Herrell and Claire Chase will be on the ballot. Harry Montoya and Karen Bedonie will run in District 3. Elisa Martinez and Mark Ronchetti will be running for the Senate seat.The primary election happens June 2.
