Nearly three-quarters of Albuquerque’s 25,400 Native American residents cannot afford monthly housing payments of $1,500 or more, according to a groundbreaking three-year city study released Friday that marks the first comprehensive urban Native housing analysis led by a municipal government.
The finding creates a stark affordability gap in a city where median home prices currently range from $349,000 to $370,000 — costs that typically require monthly payments well above $1,500.
“For the first time, we have clear data reflecting the housing barriers that the Native community has vocalized for decades alongside a community-led vision for how to overcome these challenges,” said Brandi Ahmie, the city’s Office of Native American Affairs liaison, in a press release announcing the study’s completion…