9-08-2024 2:07am

Alamogordo Housing Summit Hosted Over 200 Participants Including Congressman Gabe Vasquez and Candidate Ashlie Meyers

Chris Edwards Editor

Congressman Gabe Vasquez with House District 51 Candidate Ashlie Meyer at SE New Mexico Housing and Food Summit Alamogordo

Over the last year, With Many Hands Alamogordo member volunteers and leaders have been laser focused on how they can effect change locally in the areas of food security by creating community gardens and collaborating with a variety of nonprofits. The local chapter was established under the leadership of Courtney McCary-Squyres and her husband James with significant support from the board and very focused volunteers.

This weekend that focus and a culmination of efforts came into focus in Alamogordo by uniting Rehabs to Rentals and the Public Land for Food Campaigns to join forces at the Tays Center at NMSU Alamogordo for the Southeast New Mexico Food & Housing Summit.

The summit hosted over 200 citizens with a variety of participating area nonprofits and community partnerships showcased from 100% Otero to a variety of others showcasing how they collaborate to build community.

Guest speakers set the stage to add further community dialogue with a diverse crowd engaged in learning how to build relationships to address challenges with local food insecurity and affordable housing.

Two local community political leaders; Mayor Pro Tem Sharon McDonald, and City Commissioner, Warren Robinson were on hand, listening, learning and engaging with participants.

After a variety of speakers lunch was provided to the over 200 participants by 3 local food trucks as an example of a commitment to the local food economy.

After lunch, a question and answer session was hosted with Congressman Gabe Vasquez and New Mexico House District 51 Candidate Ashlie Myers. A variety of candidates were invited to include local resident and candidate in opposition seeking to unseat Vasquez, Yvette Herrell. Ms. Herrell confirmed to Anthony Lucero of streaming AlamogordoTownNews.org on KALHRadio.org that she opted not to attend but was invited.

John Block, opponent to Ashlie Meyers failed to attend and instead posted anti Dick Cheney propaganda on X Twitter finding that of higher value than participation in a symposium on affordable housing and food security within his district.

Congressman Gabe Vasquez spoke of his family roots and how housing and food security are critical to better educational outcomes, mental and physical health and wellbeing and economic prosperity.

Congressman Vasquez reiterated his commitment to bring federal dollars back into the district for community projects and mentioned his opponent had failed to bring any federal earmarks back to the district during her tenure. Vasquez made it a point to highlight the fact that the south eastern New Mexico blue collar community, especially oil field workers fill the state and federal tax coffers via the work they perform daily, in return these areas deserve to receive back earmarks and appropriations for local projects to enhance quality of life and provide better food and housing security in this region of New Mexico.

Ms. Myers emphasized the challenges that single parents with children face and the need to fill the gaps of low income workers and those workers transitioning from low to moderate income with a safety net.

Candidate Meyers and Congressman Vasquez both agreed child tax credits should increase for working families and that they play an important role in lowering child age poverty.

The summit concluded with with organizers challenging the audience to participate in democracy; vote and for them to consider running for political office as so many incumbents run unopposed and political power becomes entrenched.

The timeliness of this summit in Alamogordo coincides with the recent release of findings of the state’s most recent housing needs assessment conducted by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority.

The New Mexico Housing Needs Assessment is a comprehensive annual report produced by New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. It comprises an array of housing indicators describing affordable housing needs in the state. Key findings from the 2024 report for New Mexico include:

Homeownership rate is 70.9%
Median household income is $58,722
43.2% of households earn less than $50,000 annually
From 2018 to 2022, the median home sale price increased 53% (from $200,000 to $306,000)
Currently, the median price of a home sold in New Mexico is $353,000 (9.2% increase from 2023)
Median monthly gross rent in 2022 was $966, an increase of 7.7% from 2021 and an increase of 16.7% in 2018
Single-family detached homes comprise the majority of the housing stock (65.7%)
43.9% of renters and 28.4% of homeowners are cost-burdened, meaning these households pay more than 30% of their income for housing costs, including insurance and utilities
43.2% of houses were built prior to 1980
Number of homeless individuals increased by 50% from 2022 to 2023

The full report may be viewed here.

At its May and June meetings, the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority Board of Directors approved the $50 million allocation, along with the $34.6 million in state fiscal year 2025 severance tax bond funding as follows: