ALBUQUERQUE N.M.– Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) held a roundtable and press conference Tuesday with housing and homelessness service providers who she selected as FY 2023 and FY 2024 Community Project Funding submissions to outline how the House GOP’s proposed budget cuts would impact the basic services that New Mexicans depend on.

“I grew up in Albuquerque as I’m sure many of you also did, and my family worked hard to make ends meet. We experienced many of these same issues that families are facing right now, and so this is a cause that is very personal to me,” said Rep. Stansbury. “I just came back from the Capitol, where House Republicans jammed through a budget that might as well be a ransom note. They just passed a budget that would cut housing programs by 22 percent—an astronomical figure that will lead to mass evictions, a pause on critical maintenance for affordable housing, and more.”

For more information on Rep. Stansbury’s FY 24 Community Project Funding Requests, click here.

Stakeholders from the City of Albuquerque Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, the New Mexico Veteran’s Integration Center, Saranam Inc., and Youth Development Inc. spoke about the expected impact that Rep. Stansbury’s funding submissions would have to increase housing and homelessness services for New Mexicans.

“Saranam is grateful for support from Rep. Stansbury that will help double our housing capacity so we are better able to solve generational homelessness and poverty for more New Mexico families,” said Tracy Weaver, Executive Director of Saranam Inc.

Representative Stansbury really demonstrated her commitment to our nation’s Veterans with her support for our new state of the art facility for New Mexico’s homeless Veterans,” said Brock Wolff, CEO of New Mexico VIC. “This financial support will allow the VIC to move ahead with our plans and will help ensure the Veterans we serve get the dignity they deserve for a long time to come.”

“Ending youth homelessness requires the financial investment into an array of comprehensive services addressing the basic needs and support needed for transitional aged youth to learn the skills necessary for independent living,” said Robert Chavez, CEO of YDI. “Congresswoman Stansbury’s support of YDI’s Congressionally Directed Spending Request is just one example of her commitment to improving the lives of fellow New Mexicans.”  

“The opportunity to work with our federal partners on the Medical Sobering Center and Young Adult Housing Navigation Campus has been absolutely vital to these initiatives,” said Gilbert Ramirez, Deputy Director for Behavioral Health at the CABQ. “Champions like Congresswoman Stansbury bring resources to the table so that we can all deliver for the people who need it most.”

“Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless (AHCH) is incredibly grateful to Congresswoman Stansbury for prioritizing the needs of people experiencing homelessness in the District,” said Rachel Biggs, Chief Strategy Officer of AHCH. “We appreciate the Congresswoman’s continual and steadfast commitment to fighting for health care and housing to end homelessness. Congressionally funded community project investments ensure Albuquerque can meet the rising needs of people experiencing homelessness. With FY23 community project funding, AHCH was able to purchase property to expand its base of operations for taking integrated health care from our central campus to the streets, across the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County service area, and meet the growing numbers of individuals and families newly experiencing homelessness,” said Rachel Biggs, Chief Strategy Officer of Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless (AHCH). “We confirmed during the pandemic that we are built for ending the crisis of homelessness, but we can only accomplish our goals through community support and dedication of resources. Robust federal investments in Health and Human Services for Community Health Centers, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and through Congressionally funded community projects, guarantee that our dedicated staff can continue to grow to meet the needs of our community members and to eliminate homelessness. AHCH thanks Congresswoman Stansbury for championing our communities needs in the FY2024 budget and urges Congress to protect and increase investments in housing and health care to end homelessness.”

Rep. Stansbury recently submitted requests for $53.1 million for 15 Community Funded Projects that invest in housing, public safety, education and youth development, and sustainability. For a full list of Rep. Stansbury’s FY 2024 Community Funded Project request, click here.

The Default on America’s Debt Act would harm New Mexico’s First Congressional District By:  

Putting 174,000 people at risk of losing Medicaid coverage in New Mexico. 

Threatening access to food assistance for 15,000 people aged 50-55 in New Mexico. 

Eliminating preschool and child care for at least 2,400 children in New Mexico. 

Increasing housing costs for at least 3,100 people in New Mexico. 

Making college more expensive for at least 37,800 students in New Mexico. 

Eliminating at least 4 air traffic control towers in New Mexico. 

Cutting at least 70 rail safety inspection days in New Mexico. 

Repealing investments in cleaner, cheaper energy — threatening clean energy and manufacturing jobs. 

And if Republicans don't get their way, they're threatening to default on our nation's bills, unleashing economic catastrophe and putting vital government services at risk by: 

Killing about 6,700 jobs in NM-01 alone. Nationwide, a default could kill more than 7 million jobs. 

Jeopardizing Social Security payments for 103,000 families in NM-01. 

Putting health benefits at risk for 318,000 people in NM-01 who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs health coverage. 

Increasing lifetime mortgage costs for the typical homeowner in New Mexico by $49,000. 

Raising the costs of a new car loan for the typical American by $800. 

Threatening the retirement savings of 94,800 people near retirement in NM-01, eliminating $20,000 from the typical retirement portfolio. 

Economists across the political spectrum have warned that defaulting on our nation's bills would cause a devastating recession. Across the United States, Moody's Analytics estimates a prolonged breach would lead to: 

At least 7 million jobs lost 

Unemployment above 8% 

A 4% decline in GDP 

Roughly $10 trillion in household wealth wiped out 

GDP a full percentage point lower a decade after the crisis and 900,000 jobs never regained