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ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Mayor Tim Keller recently shocked the metro with his announcement to close Coronado Park, which was largely at the center of the conversation.
The City Council has gone back and forth on what to do about the issue, most recently opposing the Safe Open Spaces proposal.
The Chamber of Commerce is keen to launch and operate the proposed Gateway Centre. They say Albuquerque can be strong in dealing with homelessness and being compassionate.
“Our homeless challenge doesn’t have to be a hopeless challenge,” said Scott Darnell with the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
Darnell and several other members of the Chamber of Commerce are voicing their opinions on what has become a hotly debated topic: What to do about the homeless crisis in the metro?
“The mayor did the right thing and closed down the homeless encampment in Coronado Park, thank you for taking that action. Number two, we believe that as a city we can be a very compassionate and caring city and do a wonderful job of serving and helping the homeless. But we have to be very clear, our city is not a campground,” Darnell said.
Now, in light of the park’s closure, the City Council is calling on the Chamber of Commerce to proceed with the Gateway Center proposal.
“The Gateway Center provides a great opportunity for first responders, and others, to provide a shelter to accommodate the homeless in need, and for the interaction and coordination of services. That’s the opportunity in front of us with the Gateway Center,” said Darnell.
Also saying it doesn’t support Open Safe Spaces.
“We are asking the city council to abandon the settlement strategy, and they will vote on it in a little over a week. “We simply believe it is important for our city leaders to put into practice that ‘our city is not a campground,'” Darnell said.
To be clear, they want Albuquerque to be a compassionate city that supports the homeless population, but camping is not acceptable.
“It’s a challenge, we’re at an opportunity here,” Darnell said.
The City Council recently proposed abolishing safe spaces. They will meet again in a week and it is not clear if this is on the agenda or not.
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