Op-Ed: Community needs to move quickly on crisis of homelessness

Justin Greene published an Op-Ed in the Santa Fe New Mexican regarding homelessness.
His original story can be read here → Community Needs to Move Quickly …

Santa Fe is known as the “City Different.” Our culture, beauty, and community spirit set us apart. But even in this special place, we are not immune to one of the greatest challenges facing cities today: homelessness.

I’ve called Santa Fe home for over 30 years. For most of that time, homelessness was present but manageable. In recent years, it has grown into a humanitarian emergency that can no longer be ignored that affects individuals, families, and the heart of our community.

As a Santa Fe County Commissioner for the past two years, I’ve spent a great deal of time listening and learning. I’ve spoken with service providers, community leaders, advocates and residents. At first, I believed our existing network of organizations and agencies could come together to address the issue. However, as the need continued to grow, it became clear that we need something more: a unified, compassionate vision that brings us all together.

People become unhoused for many reasons: job loss, illness, trauma, addiction, rising costs, or life changes. These are not personal failings. They are signs of systems under strain. Just as there are many paths into homelessness, there must be many ways out.

We already have some promising efforts in Santa Fe. Organizations like St. Elizabeth’s Shelter, Consuelo’s Place, and the new pallet shelter village are providing real relief. The need is outpacing these efforts. Places like the Interfaith Shelter on Cerrillos Road are overburdened beyond capacity, and the many groups trying to help are often isolated, under-resourced, and stretched too thin.

What’s missing is a comprehensive, coordinated plan. The state has resources available, but without a shared vision to guide us, those resources can’t reach their full potential.

That’s why I’d like to share my vision: a homelessness services “campus”: a dedicated space where shelter, care and services come together.

Imagine a campus that would offer specialized overnight shelters for veterans, seniors, women, men, and people with mental health challenges. It would provide vital wraparound services such as mental health care, addiction recovery, job training, legal aid, medical treatment, and housing support. This is not just about temporary shelter; it’s about long-term healing and hope.

Cities like San Antonio and Albuquerque have built similar campuses with meaningful results. We can adapt their models to reflect Santa Fe’s values like cultural inclusion, compassion, and deep community care.

Yes, this kind of project brings real questions and concerns. Where would it go? How would it be managed? How will this impact my neighborhood? That’s why strong community engagement is key. We would include safety measures, a dedicated security team, a zero tolerance for vagrancy, clear boundaries, and investments in surrounding neighborhoods to lift everyone up.

It’s a major investment. Expensive, no doubt, but one that’s absolutely necessary. The cost of inaction: lost lives, impacts on the business community, our safety, our overburdened services, and a fraying social fabric is far higher.

The goal is to stabilize this population, get them off the streets and bring them to a self-sufficient part of society. The City of Santa Fe’s “Built for Zero” program is already tracking needs. This campus would be where we address those needs.

We still have work to do, but I believe in our ability to rise to this challenge. This is just a conversation starter. With your voice, your feedback, and your heart, we can create something extraordinary. We can solve this homelessness problem.

Please tell me your thoughts and we can start working on this and other ideas.
justin@justingreene.com