ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A solution to Albuquerque’s homeless population could be a “tiny homes village.” A local group plans on building a village of tiny homes to help get the homeless off the streets.
“I see it as a basic, human right. I get choked up here, but just to let you know, I do this from my heart,” said Ken Balizer, a member of the Tiny Home Village Working Group. “When I started reading about people getting evicted from property after property, I got very concerned, and I got upset I have to admit it.”
The idea is to have a village of tiny homes for the homeless with about 35 units in each village. Balizer now has the support of County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley.
“We have folks who are wondering around, who have no place to use the restroom to shower. Going to service to service to get something to eat. It’s a safety issue, it’s terrifying for a lot of these people,” said Commissioner O’Malley.
O’Malley said she wants to get a bond of up to $2 million passed to pay for the two villages that could house up to 80 people.
The tiny homes movement has been sweeping the nation and when Balizer first introduced the idea to Albuquerque months ago, he was met with a little resistance.
“Some homeless people, they just want to live in tents, and other people prefer tiny homes so, we’re hoping there could at least be a few places for a tent to accommodate people,” he said.
Even though the project is still in the beginning stages, there is now hope that a solution is in sight.
“Everybody needs a place to live and I see it as a human right,” said Balizer.
There are currently no definitive plans on where to put the village, but the group will be meeting on Thursday to discuss more details. They are looking to put the village close to a bus line to make it easily accessible.
