Study: Albuquerque needs about 500 new homeless shelter beds

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A new report has shown the city of Albuquerque needs about 500 new beds to accommodate all of the adults who are sleeping on the streets, in parks and other unsheltered locations.

The Albuquerque Journal reported Friday that the $45,000 analysis was intended to help determine how to safely accommodate people without any place to stay over the night amid discussions about homelessness in the city.

The report does not include any additional capacity needed to serve families, officials said.

About 550 out of more than 1,500 people were considered unsheltered, a 287% increase compared to six years ago, officials said. The city needs 463 to 518 new shelter beds to meet the demand, doubling what is currently available in the northern New Mexico city, according to the report.

Mayor Tim Keller's administration has estimated about 5,000 households would experience homeless in the next year, city officials said.

Some solutions include building a centrally-located shelter, investing in rapid re-housing programs and providing rental assistance, officials said.

The new report was conducted by Stephen Metraux from the Center for Community Research & Service at the University of Delaware, and Barbara Poppe, the former executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, officials said.