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Thousands of Comments Backing Controversial Project Jupiter May Be Fraudulent, Attorney General Warns

Juan Oliveros
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Thousands of Comments Backing Controversial Project Jupiter May Be Fraudulent, Attorney General Warns

New Mexico’s attorney general has warned that thousands of public comments supporting an air-quality permit for the controversial Project Jupiter data center may not reflect genuine public opinion.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has warned that a significant portion of public comments supporting an air-quality permit for the Project Jupiter data center may not represent genuine public opinion. His office reviewed 17,419 submitted comments and found roughly 60%, between 10,000 and 10,600, were nearly identical form letters, often linked to a small number of internet addresses and unverified out-of-state phone numbers.

The investigation began after residents and officials, including state and local representatives, reported that comments had been submitted in their names without consent. Torrez did not assign responsibility but called for flagged comments to be labeled unverified, records preserved, and the comment period potentially reopened. The Environment Department and Oracle, involved in the Doña Ana County project with OpenAI, said they are cooperating as investigations continue.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez said his office reviewed all 17,419 comments submitted during the public comment period. The review found that about 60% — between 10,000 and 10,600 submissions — were nearly identical form letters supporting the permit.

In a letter to New Mexico Environment Department Secretary James Kenney, Torrez said the review raised serious questions about the authenticity of the public record.

The flagged comments came from about 9,000 internet addresses, most of which submitted only one comment. Many also included out-of-state phone numbers, even though the online portal did not require phone numbers.

“We believe that there are potentially thousands of fraudulent comments included in the public record,” Torrez said.

However, Torrez warned against drawing conclusions about who submitted the comments or why. “This letter does not establish who is responsible for any particular comment, and it does not characterize anyone’s intent,” he wrote. “It does establish that a number of comments cannot be read as a measure of public opinion until the record has been verified.” 

Torrez launched the investigation in July after residents of New Mexico’s largest cities and several politicians said supportive comments had been submitted in their names without their knowledge or consent.

State Representative Cristina Parajón and Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn were among the officials who claimed their names were used in the public comments.

Fiebelkorn said, “I was surprised and then I was pretty darn angry.” 

Project Jupiter is a large data center planned for Doña Ana County, with involvement from Oracle and OpenAI. Through Yucca Growth Infrastructure, the project has applied for an air-quality permit for a natural gas-powered microgrid that uses fuel cells.

Torrez has asked the Environment Department to preserve all data and metadata from its public comment portal and label the flagged submissions as “unverified.”

He also urged the agency to ask the hearing officer whether those comments should be considered during the permit process.

Torrez suggested reopening the public comment period if the authenticity of the record cannot be confirmed.

Responses from the Environment Department and Oracle

Environment Department spokesman Drew Goretzka said Kenney met with Torrez to discuss the investigation. Goretzka said the department will continue preserving records and fully cooperate with investigators.

“Any person or organization that attempts to misuse the public comment process to steer a permit decision should be held accountable,” Goretzka said. 

Oracle has also said it has fully cooperated with the attorney general’s investigation and will continue to do so. The company said any improper conduct should be addressed, but warned against allowing the investigation to overshadow the thousands of residents who participated honestly in the public process.

The investigations are ongoing. Their outcome could affect the Project Jupiter air-permit process and raise broader questions about how regulators verify public comments on major projects.

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Oracle Offers to Scrap $155M Project Jupiter Power Plan After New Mexico County Commissioners Object

Juan Oliveros
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Oracle Offers to Scrap $155M Project Jupiter Power Plan After New Mexico County Commissioners Object

Oracle’s proposal to deliver at least $155 million in utility payments and customer credits linked to its massive Project Jupiter AI data center collided with strong resistance from Doña Ana County commissioners on Tuesday, prompting a company executive to offer to scrap the plan.

During a scheduled update to the county board on Oct. 13, Oracle representatives outlined a proposed Energy Service Agreement with El Paso Electric. Under the deal, the tech giant would pay the utility $10 million annually for 10 years—totaling at least $100 million—even if its power use falls short of contracted levels. The payments would cover late-stage construction needs, initial commissioning, emergency backup power, and life-safety requirements at the site.

Separately, Oracle proposed up to $55 million a year for as many as three years in direct bill credits for El Paso Electric’s residential and small-business customers in New Mexico, potentially beginning in 2027. Combined with one year of the maximum credit, the package reaches the “at least $155 million” figure highlighted in the company’s announcement. Full three-year credits could push the customer benefit higher.

Oracle stressed that the primary power source for the hyperscale campus remains unchanged: an on-site Bloom Energy fuel-cell microgrid. The utility connection would serve only limited, secondary purposes. 

El Paso Electric President and CEO Kelly Tomblin welcomed the customer-credit proposal, saying the utility supports efforts to ensure growth benefits residential and small commercial customers.

“We welcome the opportunity to facilitate Oracle’s credit to further affordability for our customers,” said Kelly Tomblin, president and CEO of El Paso Electric. “Growth and investment in New Mexico has always been an EPE priority and we support the effort Oracle is making to ensure that this growth benefits our residential and small commercial customers.” 

The announcement, released about 30 minutes before the meeting and absent from materials provided to commissioners more than a week earlier, caught board members off guard.

Commissioner Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez led the criticism, arguing the plan effectively tied Project Jupiter to local ratepayers after repeated assurances that the data center would generate its own power and not increase electric bills. He noted that rates are set by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, not by Oracle or El Paso Electric alone. 

“The only way that you can 100% guarantee that you’re not going to raise the rates on New Mexico residents is by not tying in,” Schaljo-Hernandez said.

Commission Chair Manny Sanchez and others pointed to the county’s industrial revenue bond ordinance and related agreements, which require the project to rely on a microgrid power generation facility and battery storage while exploring renewable options. Connecting to the utility grid, they said, could necessitate amendments requiring further board approval.

Commissioners Susie Kimble and Susana Chaparro also objected to the late notice, with Chaparro describing it as part of a recurring transparency issue.

Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and the project’s lead, acknowledged the misstep. “Our intent was that we were doing something nice. Obviously, that was incorrect. So we take that back. We want to work with you,” he said. “So I will undo any decision, if that’s what it takes.” It remained unclear Tuesday whether Oracle would formally withdraw the proposal.

Project Jupiter, a roughly 1,400-acre AI-training data center campus in the Santa Teresa area, is a cornerstone of Oracle’s large-scale computing commitments, including work tied to OpenAI. The project has faced ongoing scrutiny over power supply, natural-gas infrastructure, air quality permits, water use, and community transparency. 

In the same set of announcements, Oracle pledged $1 million toward Doña Ana County flood recovery efforts and released an updated economic analysis projecting more than $13 billion in activity from the project during construction and its first 17 years of operations.

The episode underscores persistent tensions between the economic promise of large-scale data centers and local concerns about infrastructure impacts and ratepayer protections in southern New Mexico. Further discussions between Oracle and the county are expected.

$40M Broadband Project Targets Nearly 4,000 Rural New Mexico Locations

Ruben Reyes
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$40M Broadband Project Targets Nearly 4,000 Rural New Mexico Locations

A $40 million broadband project will bring high-speed internet to nearly 4,000 unserved and underserved locations across five northern New Mexico counties, expanding access to education, health care and remote work.

New Mexico’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion has agreed with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative on a $40 million project to extend fiber-optic internet to 3,935 unserved and underserved locations across Colfax, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe and Taos counties. About two-thirds of funding comes from the federal BEAD program, with Kit Carson covering the remainder.

The project is the first of roughly 19 planned under New Mexico’s BEAD allocation, following federal delays and revised guidelines. Officials say it will improve access to education, health care, and remote work in rural areas, though environmental review, permitting, and construction mean completion is not expected until 2030.

The New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion announced this week an agreement with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative to extend fiber-optic internet service to 3,935 locations across Colfax, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe and Taos counties. The project targets 1,970 locations without broadband service and another 1,965 with inadequate access.

The expansion is intended to bring reliable connections to places where internet access affects more than convenience. Schools, libraries, fire departments and medical centers are among the community institutions expected to benefit, along with households and businesses that increasingly depend on online services.

For rural residents, better connectivity can help students access educational resources, patients consult health care providers remotely, and workers perform their jobs from home. It can also help small businesses reach customers and manage daily operations without relying on limited or unreliable connections.

“Just around 74% of New Mexico had broadband access” when the state broadband office was established in 2021, Director Jeff Lopez said in a Source NM report. About 91% of the state is now connected, he said. The new project aims to reach locations that remain unserved or underserved.

The project carries a price tag of about $40 million, with roughly two-thirds expected to come from the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. Kit Carson Electric Cooperative will cover the remaining costs.

“This is huge breakthrough in our years-long quest to use BEAD funding to steer New Mexico toward 100% connectivity,” said Lopez. “Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in our state to ensure every New Mexico family receives high-speed, safe and secure broadband.”

Established under the Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the BEAD program was designed to expand high-speed internet access nationwide, particularly in communities that have been left behind by private broadband investment.

However, New Mexico’s effort faced delays as federal officials revised the program’s requirements. The Trump administration delayed the release of $293 million in broadband funding for the state earlier this year while the National Telecommunications and Information Administration worked on new guidelines.

Lopez said the state had to adjust to changes between the two administrations’ approaches before it could move forward with the grant process.

The federal telecommunications agency released revised guidelines in June, allowing the state broadband office to begin soliciting bids for projects. The agreement with Kit Carson is the first of approximately 19 projects expected to receive funding through the program in New Mexico.

The funding is intended to help close gaps that have persisted despite earlier broadband expansion efforts. Without public investment, remote and sparsely populated areas can be difficult to serve because building fiber networks over long distances can be costly relative to the number of customers.

The agreement marks a step toward expanded access, but residents will have to wait for the network to be built.

Lopez said he hopes the project will be completed by 2030. Before construction begins, Kit Carson must go through an environmental review and permitting process expected to take one to three years.

That timeline means the benefits will not arrive immediately, even as communities continue to face barriers associated with limited internet access.

Northern Santa Fe County is among the areas expected to benefit. District 1 Commissioner Justin Greene said in a statement that rural areas have long been underserved by broadband and telecommunications services.

Greene said the project would complete the “last mile” of connectivity following earlier broadband initiatives launched during the Obama administration.

For residents in remote communities, that final stretch can determine whether a home or institution can actually use a broadband network. Nearby fiber infrastructure does not necessarily mean every household has access.

Once completed, the project is expected to give communities better access to education, telehealth, entertainment, and remote work, Greene said.

The project highlights the role of federal funding in bringing broadband to rural communities that private providers may be reluctant to serve because of high construction costs. However, residents will have to wait for the benefits as the project moves through environmental reviews, permitting, and construction, with completion targeted for 2030

Attention Families: APS to Test New ParentSquare Communication System on Saturday 

Gregg Morgan
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Attention Families: APS to Test New ParentSquare Communication System on Saturday 

Have you heard about Albuquerque Public Schools’ new communication system? Called ParentSquare, the system will be tested Saturday, October 17, as the district prepares to move all its alerts to the app. 

Albuquerque Public Schools is testing a new communication platform called ParentSquare on Saturday, October 17, as it transitions all district communications to this single system. Families who don’t receive the test text should contact their child’s school to verify their phone number and email are current. Starting Monday, all emergency alerts will go through ParentSquare.

ParentSquare consolidates school and classroom messages into one platform, accessible via email, text, app, website, or phone calls in a family’s preferred language. Features include messaging teachers, completing forms, scheduling conferences, viewing calendars and photos, and signing up for volunteer opportunities. The app is available for iOS and Android, or online at parentsquare.com.

APS said it will move all its communications to ParentSquare and test the system this weekend as part of the rollout. 

If your family receives the test text, you don’t need to take any further action. 

But if your family doesn’t receive a test message on Saturday, contact your child’s school. Make sure APS has your current phone number and email address on file.

Starting Monday, the district will send all emergency alerts through Parent Square.

How ParentSquare Works

ParentSquare brings all your school and classroom messages together in one place. You can receive them in your preferred language through email, text messages, the app, the website, or phone calls. 

Families can stay informed about school news and events and message teachers and staff directly through the platform. 

ParentSquare lets you complete forms and permission slips, sign up for parent-teacher conferences and volunteer opportunities, and check school calendars. You can also view photos and updates from your child’s school.

Families can download the free ParentSquare app for iOS and Android. You can also access it anytime through your web browser at parentsquare.com. 

To create your account, simply enter your email address or phone number and set a password. 

New Mexico State Land Office Sets Record $3.2 Billion in FY26 Revenue

Juan Oliveros
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New Mexico State Land Office Sets Record $3.2 Billion in FY26 Revenue

The New Mexico State Land Office generated a record $3.2 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2026, providing billions of dollars for public schools and other state institutions while highlighting the financial benefits of diversifying income from state-owned lands.

The New Mexico State Land Office generated a record $3.2 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2026, including over $719 million in non-royalty payments and $24 million from commercial leasing. Public schools received the largest share at $2.9 billion, with additional funds supporting universities, hospitals, and specialized institutions. The agency estimates this saves each taxpayer about $3,500 annually.

Under Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, revenue has grown steadily since 2019, surpassing $16 billion total and diversifying beyond oil and gas into renewable energy, housing, and recreation. The agency has also prioritized environmental accountability, plugging over 900 abandoned wells, while officials emphasize balancing revenue growth with long-term stewardship of state trust lands.

Stephanie Garcia Richard, the State Land Commissioner, announced the record profits, which included more than $719 million in non-royalty payments and over $24 million from operations involving leasing businesses through the agency’s Commercial Resources Division. Records have now been set in both cases.

The money helps to finance public education, health care and other government institutions in New Mexico. The agency states that the income saves each state taxpayer around $3,500 a year, which would otherwise have to be used to help pay for these public services.

Public schools received the largest share, accounting for about $2.9 billion of the revenue for the fiscal year, while other recipients included public universities, hospitals, specialized schools, and state facilities.

“I made it clear when I got elected that the State Land Office would be open for business, and the results speak for themselves,” Garcia Richard said.

The commissioner credited the agency’s financial performance to the measures it had taken to diversify its sources of revenue. At the same time, the agency made sure that companies were held accountable for their use of state lands and for protecting the resources for the benefit of future generations.

Public schools receive the biggest share

The $2.9 billion going to public schools was the biggest part of the State Land Office’s FY26 revenue, highlighting the significance of the state’s trust lands in funding New Mexico’s education system.

Other major beneficiaries were the public buildings, which got $53.1 million, and the state penitentiary, which received $34.5 million.

The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University were each given $22.3 million; the New Mexico Military Institute received $19.9 million and the state hospital $16.8 million.

Other specialized institutions for health and education also gained support. The Miners’ Colfax Medical Center was given $9.1 million, the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired received $8.8 million, and the New Mexico School for the Deaf was awarded $8.6 million.

The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology was given $1.8 million.

The funding allows educational programs and services for students with disabilities to be maintained, since otherwise they would have to rely on more support from other public funding sources.

Dr. Heather Miller, superintendent of the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, said that the revenues generated by the work of those at the NMSLO bring about lasting benefits for communities and are particularly significant to organisations such as the NMSBVI.

The school will be able to offer programs for children who have visual impairments and are blind, from birth until they graduate, because of the funding.

Revenue has grown under Garcia Richard

The most recent record is part of a phase featuring continuous revenue growth at the agency.

The State Land Office reached a annual revenue of over $1 billion for the first time in 2019, which was the first year that Garcia Richard was in office, and it has have produced at least $1 billion each year since then, hitting over $2 billion for the first time in the fiscal year 2022.

The agency has now produced more than $16 billion since Garcia Richard was appointed in 2019 with the release of the FY26 results.

The agency stated that the revenue it had earned over the previous eight years was greater than the total amount it had generated in the 30 years before that, even when allowances were made for inflation.

In the past, oil and gas royalties have made up the majority of the State Land Office’s income. The agency has been aiming at expanding its sources of revenue by means of development in the field of renewable energy, the provision of affordable housing, economic development, outdoor recreation and other commercial activities on state lands.

The most recent figures indicate that income from sources other than royalty is increasingly becoming an important element in the agency’s financial performance, even though oil and gas is still a major source of revenue.

What the record means for New Mexicans

The fact that the amount is $3.2 billion is important not only for the agency’s balance sheet since it shows how revenue from the state trust lands can be used to pay for public services.

The funding serves as a major source of support for schools across the state, and universities as well as specialized educational institutions also receive shares which aid them in maintaining their facilities and in providing their programs.

The agency says that its revenues result in each resident of New Mexico saving about $3,500 a year. This is an estimated benefit from public funding and not a direct cash payment or a tax refund to individual residents.

Expanding revenue streams beyond oil and gas could enable the state to obtain income from a wider variety of land uses and business activities.

The problem relating to environmental stewardship is to keep those earnings without damaging the long-term state of the lands which produce them.

According to Garcia Richard, the agency has aimed at balancing the need to generate revenue with its duty to act in an environmentally responsible manner. She set up an Accountability and Enforcement programme as a result of which more than 900 abandoned oil and gas wells on state land have been plugged. The office also founded an Environmental Compliance Office to assess the damage and to assist in making sure the sites are cleaned up.

It is important to make these efforts since if abandoned wells and other environmental liabilities are not dealt with they can result in long-term costs for public resources.

Long-term stewardship remains a responsibility

The state trust lands are managed with the aim of producing revenue for the designated beneficiaries, which makes the State Land Office responsible for both the financial performance and for the long-term management of the assets.

Col. David West, who chairs the Advisory Board of the State Land Trusts, commended the agency’s results for fiscal year 2026 and stressed the need for responsible management.

“The State Land Office’s reported FY26 revenue is a significant result for New Mexico’s trust beneficiaries,” West said. He also commended agency employees for their work and stressed the need to keep long-term stewardship in view.

Judge Delays Trial of New Mexico Couple Accused of Abusing Children in Underground Tunnels

Juan Oliveros
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Judge Delays Trial of New Mexico Couple Accused of Abusing Children in Underground Tunnels

A New Mexico judge has postponed the trial of a couple accused of sexually and physically abusing their children, giving defense attorneys additional time to respond to the state’s proposed expert witnesses.

A New Mexico judge has postponed the trial of Melvin and Valerie Cordell, who face charges of sexually and physically abusing their eight children over a decade, to allow defense attorneys more time to respond to the state’s proposed expert witnesses. No new trial date has been set.

The couple allegedly forced their children to live in underground tunnels and makeshift shelters amid unsanitary conditions on their Deming property, withholding food and permitting sexual abuse. The investigation began after their 16-year-old reported the abuse in 2024. The Cordells, arrested in 2025, have pleaded not guilty and were recently released from custody, with parental rights terminated and contact with the children prohibited.

Melvin and Valerie Cordell were scheduled to stand trial Wednesday over allegations that they forced their children, ranging in age from 6 months to 16 years, to live in artificial tunnels outside their property in Deming from 2014 to 2024.

The couple also faces allegations that they made their children perform sexual acts.

The trial was vacated following a hearing last week on whether prosecutors had disclosed the names of their expert witnesses within the required timeframe, according to the district attorney’s office.

The court decided to delay the proceedings to allow the defense to respond to the state’s proposed experts. A new trial date has not been announced.

Core allegations 

The couple faces numerous felony charges over allegations that they subjected their eight children to prolonged physical and sexual abuse between 2014 and 2024.

According to criminal complaints and court documents, the couple allegedly forced the children to live outdoors year-round on a 35-acre property that investigators described as resembling a landfill. The children reportedly slept in manmade underground tunnels or caves, typically 4 to 6 feet deep, as well as in broken-down vehicles and other makeshift shelters surrounded by piles of garbage, buckets of human feces, rotting food, soiled clothing, and other hazards.

Prosecutors further allege that the children were often left unbathed and forced to live in filthy conditions, and that food was sometimes withheld for up to two days as punishment.

The sexual abuse allegations include claims that the parents forced the children to perform sexual acts, sometimes in the presence of other adults. Court records specifically accuse Melvin Cordell of sexually assaulting the oldest daughter over several years, resulting in two pregnancies, and of performing nonconsensual at-home abortion procedures before disposing of the remains.

Additional claims allege that other adults were permitted to abuse the children. The investigation began in October 2024 after the 16-year-old daughter reported the abuse while attending a youth program. The children were placed in the custody of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department.

The Cordells were arrested in February 2025 and have pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include multiple counts of child abuse, criminal sexual penetration, and related offenses.

Judge orders couple’s release.

Earlier this week, District Judge Jennifer Delaney ordered the Cordells released from custody, noting that their parental rights had been terminated and the children were in foster care.

The judge prohibited the couple from contacting the children.

The release order does not resolve the criminal charges against the Cordells, and the allegations remain subject to trial.

APS to Open School Transfer Requests for 2027-28 on October 26

Gregg Morgan
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APS to Open School Transfer Requests for 2027-28 on October 26

Albuquerque Public Schools announced it will begin accepting transfer requests for 2027-28 on October 26.

Albuquerque Public Schools will begin accepting transfer requests for the 2027-28 school year starting October 26. Families can apply through ParentVUE to request a school outside their designated attendance area, with most APS schools accepting transfer students offering various programs and learning environments.

Schools will host tours and open houses in October for families to explore options. Transfer requests submitted by November 30 will receive approval decisions by December 8, and families must accept or decline through ParentVUE by December 18. Additional help is available via the district’s Service Center.

APS noted that most students attend schools based on where they reside. Now, parents can request transfer to a school outside their designated attendance area. 

Most APS schools accept transfer students, giving families a wide range of choices across the district. They can explore schools that offer specialized programs that can provide a different learning environment, or are closer to their workplace.  

This October, APS schools will host tours, open houses, and other events where you can check out classrooms and meet teachers and staff. These visits also give families a chance to discover more about the opportunities available to students.

School Transfer Process

Starting October 26, families can submit transfer requests online through ParentVUE, the district’s parent portal.

APS reviews transfer requests based on available space at your preferred school.

Families who submitted transfer requests by November 30 will receive an email by December. 8 informing them whether the request was approved. If approved, they will have until December 18 to accept or decline the transfer through ParentVUE.

For further assistance, contact the Service Center through Let’s Talk or through these numbers: 505-855-9040.

Visit the district’s enrollment website to learn more about school options, enrollment, and transfer requests. 

Stabbing Suspect on the Run: Santa Fe Police Seek Help Locating 32-Year-Old Marlena Clare Tenorio

Gregg Morgan
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Stabbing Suspect on the Run: Santa Fe Police Seek Help Locating 32-Year-Old Marlena Clare Tenorio

Santa Fe police are searching for a 32-year-old woman accused of stabbing a woman and injuring a man on Wednesday, October 14. 

Santa Fe police are searching for 32-year-old Marlena Clare Tenorio, accused of stabbing a woman and injuring a man early on October 14 near Lucia Lane and Village Loop. The female victim sustained multiple non-fatal stab wounds and was hospitalized; the male victim suffered a non-fatal injury. Tenorio fled before officers arrived.

An arrest warrant has been issued charging Tenorio with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, among other offenses. Her whereabouts remain unknown, and police warn the public not to approach her but to call 911 or contact Santa Fe Police Department investigators with information.

Detectives identified the suspect as Marlena Clare Tenorio of Santa Fe.

Authorities said officers arrived at Lucia Lane and Village Loop around 1:12 a.m. after receiving a report of stabbing. They found an adult woman “with multiple non-fatal stab wounds” and an adult man “with a non-fatal injury.” Paramedics rushed the female victim to a local hospital for treatment.

Authorities said Tenorio fled before officers arrived at the scene. Police called in the Crime Scene Unit to collect and document evidence where the incident occurred. 

Santa Fe police said they have yet to locate Tenorio, and her whereabouts remain unknown.

Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Tenorio on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and several other offenses related to the incident.

The Criminal Investigations Section is working to find and arrest the suspect. Police said if you see her, do not approach her. Instead, call 911 immediately.

Authorities are investigating the incident. If you have information that may help with the investigation or know where Tenorio is, contact the Santa Fe Police Department at (505) 428-3710 or Sergeant Luke Wakefield at 505 955-5406

Brant.One will continue updating this article as more information becomes available, helping readers stay informed about the latest developments.

New Mexico’s Housing Mismatch: Affordable Homes Exist, But Not for the People Who Need Them Most

Juan Oliveros
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New Mexico’s Housing Mismatch: Affordable Homes Exist, But Not for the People Who Need Them Most

New Mexico’s housing crisis is not simply a shortage of affordable homes. It is also a mismatch between the people occupying existing affordable units and the households who need them most, state officials say. 

A New Mexico state analysis found that 65% of affordable housing units are occupied by residents who could afford pricier homes, while the state faces a shortage of at least 50,000 units for households earning 30% to 150% of area median income. About 60% of households in this range are cost-burdened. Officials attribute the mismatch to market dynamics rather than misconduct.

The New Mexico Office of Housing presented these findings alongside a request for approximately $97 million in the upcoming legislative session, primarily to help close the financing gap between construction costs and affordable pricing for developers. Officials outlined seven policy priorities, including zoning updates, improved data collection, and gap-financing subsidies to encourage new affordable housing construction.

Nearly 65% of the state’s affordable housing units are owned or occupied by people whose incomes would allow them to afford more expensive homes, according to an analysis presented by the New Mexico Office of Housing. The findings highlight a structural problem in the state’s housing market as officials seek nearly $97 million in additional funding for the coming fiscal year.

The analysis estimates that New Mexico lacks at least 50,000 housing units affordable to households earning between 30% and 150% of area median income. For a two-person household, that income range is approximately $24,100 to $120,500.

About 60% of households within that income bracket are cost-burdened, meaning they spend at least one-third of their income on housing.

The figures illustrate how the shortage extends beyond the lowest-income households to include working families and middle-income residents who struggle to find homes within their budgets.

Why affordable housing is going to higher-income households

The mismatch does not necessarily mean that higher-income residents are improperly occupying affordable housing. Rather, it reflects how housing markets operate when supply is limited and existing homes remain available to people with a wide range of incomes.

Department of Workforce Solutions Secretary Sarita Nair, whose agency houses the Office of Housing, described the pattern as a natural market dynamic rather than misconduct, according to a Source NM report.

One example illustrates the scale of the disparity: Of the 136,000 occupied housing units affordable to households earning 50% or less of area median income, approximately 36%, or 47,000 homes, are occupied by people earning more than the area median.

When affordable homes are occupied by households that could potentially pay more, fewer units remain available to lower-income residents. But simply moving higher-income households out would not address the underlying shortage of housing, officials say.

Construction costs are widening the gap

The cost of building new housing is another major obstacle.

Lisa Huval, the Office of Housing’s housing initiatives manager, said developing a single apartment in a multifamily project in Albuquerque now costs approximately $348,000.

For that unit to remain affordable to a tenant earning 80% or less of the city’s median income, its cost would need to be no more than $275,000.

That leaves a financing gap of about $73,000 per apartment.

“That difference between those two numbers is really what is driving our housing shortage,” Huval said.

New Mexico’s figures point to a problem that extends beyond homelessness and the lack of housing for extremely low-income households. Workers, families and other residents earning modest or middle incomes also face difficulty finding homes they can afford.

The state’s shortage of at least 50,000 units for households earning between 30% and 150% of area median income suggests that expanding housing production across multiple price ranges will be essential to addressing the problem.

State seeks nearly $97 million to address the shortage

Nair and Huval presented seven housing policy priorities developed through interviews and analysis with an outside consultant.

The proposals include strengthening local governments’ ability to support housing development, updating zoning codes, speeding up permitting, preserving existing affordable units, improving housing data collection and using state subsidies to close financing gaps.

The Office of Housing is seeking nearly $97 million for the next fiscal year, with the largest share intended to help finance new housing projects.

The request includes $50 million in grants to developers and $30 million in capital outlay.

The funding would build on more than $100 million lawmakers have already provided for housing and homelessness programs. The Office of Housing has been administratively attached to the Department of Workforce Solutions since 2025.

The proposals and funding request will be considered by lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session.

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