Albuquerque is trying something new in its fight against homelessness. On Sept. 15, the Albuquerque City Council voted unanimously to launch the city’s first housing voucher program that requires people to stay sober.
Resolution R-25-179 establishes a one-year pilot program, called the Continuing Sobriety Housing Voucher Program. It will cover rent for 25 people leaving treatment who commit to maintaining sobriety. Sponsored by Councilor Renée Grout, the program marks a shift from the city’s longtime “housing first” model, which doesn’t put conditions on sobriety. With more than 2,700 people experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque, supporters say it fills a big gap for people leaving rehab with nowhere stable to land. Critics, though, worry it could lock out those who relapse.
“We have lots of different vouchers, but we don’t have any for sobriety,” Grout said at the meeting. “There are a lot of people who come out of treatment detox, they have nowhere to go and we need to give them more of an opportunity to be successful.”…