ACS helps displaced tenants find housing following closure of crime-ridden motels
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In the last three days, the City of Albuquerque has closed two problematic motels, riddled with code enforcement violations. However, they've had to find housing for nearly 40 tenants, including families, who were staying at the motels, but did not have ties to criminal activity taking place on the properties. 'They're open to receiving as much assistance as they can because they have no other support systems,' Martienz said.
The city said they helped 31 people displaced from the Motel 6 find some type of short or long-term housing assistance. The city said that comes in the form of housing or hotel vouchers, or taking them directly to a shelter. With the Days Inn closure Friday, ACS said the seven people displaced from the motel all went to stay with family or friends and did not receive help.
'We always try to capture the whole picture, that way we understand the pathway that we can make with them later on, whether it's some background that's holding them, and what other barriers there are that we can help them get through,' Martinez said.
When finding new places for displaced tenants of substandard buildings, the city says they have processes to make sure families don't end up in a similar situation. ACS added that some of the tenants were paying anywhere from $800 to $1,400 per week for unsafe living conditions in those motels. 'We actually have inspection forms that our staff is responsible for completing to make sure that we're transitioning them to a healthier living situation,' Martinez added.
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