Mayor Keller and Clear Channel Unveil Housing Fund Billboards

February 15, 2019

Today, Mayor Tim Keller, Brenda Begley, Vice President of Sales for Clear Channel Outdoor in Albuquerque, the City’s Department of Family and Community Services and community service providers came together to announce a new partnership to promote the One Albuquerque Housing Fund. The fund enables the public to contribute directly to housing vouchers for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

With this partnership, Clear Channel will help the City of Albuquerque promote the One Albuquerque Housing Fund on seven billboards rotating throughout the city on the interstate or Paseo Del Norte and arterial streets. The promotions will run through the remainder of 2019.

The One Albuquerque Housing Fund is aimed at ramping up the availability of housing vouchers for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Housing vouchers have been proven throughout the country as having the best return on investment when it comes to programs for a substantial segment of the population.  This “Housing First” model is one of the cornerstones of the City’s effort to engage every day residents to help combat rising homelessness in Albuquerque.

“The fund allows the community to step up and directly contribute to helping individuals and families move from emergency shelter to long-term housing. Every dollar makes a difference for someone experiencing homelessness,” Mayor Keller said. “The One Albuquerque Housing Voucher Fund is one of the many ways that we are working to tackle homelessness in our city. With this partnership, we have an opportunity to improve awareness of the fund and increase contributions for housing vouchers.”

“We are proud to join Mayor Keller and the City of Albuquerque in promoting the One Albuquerque Housing Fund,” said Brenda Begley, Vice President of Sales for Clear Channel Outdoor in Albuquerque. “Addressing homelessness in Albuquerque is going to require businesses and citizens to get involved, and we are happy to be doing so today. It is important to us that we do whatever we can to help this community come together for a good cause.”

Lisa Huval, Deputy Director of Family and Community Services added, “We know that housing vouchers are highly cost-effective. When people have don’t have housing they often end up in the ER, in hospitals, and in detox facilities. So it actually costs less to supply a housing voucher than it does to do nothing.”

You can donate online at www.cabq.gov/housingfund