Housing for All

It’s time for affordable, stable housing.

It’s time for every Albuquerque resident to have access to affordable and stable housing. As mayor, Alex will foster a customer-service model at City hall where the goal is to get you to approval. Alex will cut red tape, incentivize smart density, and fight displacement so our families, workers, and seniors can afford to stay in the city they love.

Rent in Albuquerque has increased 61% since 2017, while the housing stock increased by only 5.6%. The average price of a home in Albuquerque increased by 78% in that time. Throughout New Mexico, about half as many homes were available to buy as were available in 2018. Accordingly, the number of people without homes increased by 87%, while the share of chronically unhoused increased from 33% to 40%. (Pew Research, 2025)

Even those who have shelter are on the brink. In Bernalillo County, 45,210 households are cost-burdened, meaning they spend over 30% of their income on housing. By 2035, Bernalillo County will need to produce an additional 27,399 additional units, or 2,739 per year, in order to keep up with population and needs. (NM MFA, 2022) Although Albuquerque has added 31,400 jobs in the past three years, the city has permitted fewer than 9,000 units of housing over the same period.  (PEW Research, 2025)

Our housing crisis is fueled by outdated processes, unnecessary delays, and a lack of urgency. We can grow rapidly and responsibly by maintaining our existing structures while spurring affordable and integrated new development.

It’s time to unlock development.

Outdated zoning ordinances and obstructive land use policies, procedures, and appeals restrict density and drive up housing costs. Too many of our most connected, opportunity-rich neighborhoods are off-limits to the housing we desperately need. As Mayor, Alex will foster a customer-service model at City Hall where the goal is to get to approval, properly resource the Planning Department, and build smart density in Albuquerque.

    • Reduce exclusionary zoning to support walkable mixed-use neighborhoods near transit and jobs that combine residential, commercial, and recreational spaces

    • Incentivize attainable housing like apartments and starter homes

    • Fast-track affordable housing projects in high-opportunity areas with access to schools, jobs, and public transit

    • Reduce minimum lot sizes in city-centers

    • Reduce parking requirements

    • Implement inclusive zoning policies that requires affordable housing be integrated in new development, as well as the use of Community Benefit Agreements

    • Use city-owned property to spur development

    • Create a comprehensive plan for the city with Urban Design and Development

    • Fund Development Review Services for more frequent and responsive studies

    • Staff Code Enforcement to be a one-stop-shop for plan review and approval and implement a tracking system for nuisance properties, aggressively cite and sue absentee landlords, and limit the use of endless remediation agreements

    • Robust investment in Building Safety Inspectors to eliminate construction delays and assign dedicated inspectors to large projects

It’s time to preserve, protect, and maintain.

Development need not come at the cost of a neighborhood’s character. In fact, ensuring that longtime residents are not priced out or pushed out, protecting our renters, and preserving our neighborhoods is what will keep Albuquerque vibrant and growing. As Mayor, Alex will preserve our neighborhoods and structures while also making way for change.

    • Launch an anti-displacement fund to support families and seniors at risk of losing their homes

    • Expand Community Land Trusts to keep homes permanently affordable and in community control

    • Strengthen rental protections and support legal aid to help tenants fight unlivable conditions and unfair evictions

    • Invest in rental assistance programs that keep tenants in homes

    • Require Community Benefit Agreements for new development

    • Provide homeownership support through rent to own programs and downpayment support

    • Preserve and restore existing structures, with support for current homeowners to maintain their residences

    • Incentivize adaptive reuse of vacant buildings

It’s time for a connected city.

It’s time for a transit network that connects our city and offers a true alternative to driving. Public transit and walkability builds community, powers property values, attracts talent, creates jobs, cuts transportation costs, is healthier, saves the environment, ensures access for elderly, poor, and children. By taking care of our bus drivers first, we can increase the frequency and reliability of our transit system. By building infrastructure for bikes and pedestrians, we can build community spaces and reduce congestion. As Mayor, Alex will get us where we need to go, quicker, and safer.

    • Extend service hours to accommodate diverse schedules and reduce reliance on personal vehicles by improving wages and benefits for bus drivers

    • Increase frequency of buses and expand routes to underserved areas

    • Encourage development projects that integrate residential and commercial spaces near transit hubs to boost ridership and economic activity

    • Invest in bike lanes, sidewalks, and other infrastructure that encourages walking and cycling

It’s time to innovate.

The resources are already there; by using the tools we have, and building strategic partnerships, we can deliver bold results without burning working families. As Mayor, Alex will work with all partners to build an Albuquerque of the future.

    • Leverage state and federal funding sources, including HUD and the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority

    • Partner with UNM, national labs, and local nonprofits to build mixed-income housing and share equity models

    • Leverage city-owned land and vacant properties to lower development costs and spur affordable construction

    • Create a Housing Innovation Office within Planning that brings a customer-service approach to development–assisting everyone from developers to homeowners to renters to navigate funding, approvals, and requirements

    • Redirect existing city funds toward housing, rental support, and neighborhood preservation–recognizing that the public cost of re-housing and rebuilding is higher than that of maintaining