When Gabrielle, a Gateway Family resident, called 311 for help, she was homeless and had spent a decade battling addiction that cost her custody of her children. Nearly two years later, she is sober, has full custody of her one-year-old, visits her older children regularly and is preparing to move from Gateway Family into her own apartment.
Gabrielle’s story highlights Albuquerque’s effort to address family homelessness through Gateway Family, a former hotel operated by Youth Development Inc. (YDI) in partnership with the city’s Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) Department.
“People do have a fighting chance. There is help out there,” Gabrielle said. “I’d love to be able to have people realize, you don’t have to be scared, you know, there’s stuff out there that you know is for everybody and I’m doing this not only for myself, but my kids. They depend on me.”…