Gateway Young Adult Hosts First-Ever Career and Resource Fair
Guidance around jobs, healthcare, and more came directly to young people at City facility
For the first time, 27 community organizations came together at the Gateway Young Adult Housing and Navigation Center, bringing services and opportunity right to residents working toward self-sufficiency. Over half of the current residents participated in the fair, which is part of the center’s work to provide real pathways out of homelessness.
The fair offered residents the chance to sit down with representatives from organizations offering practical help. Employment connections, workforce development programs, behavioral health services, financial resources, transit support, and community navigation were all available in one place, removing the transportation and other logistical barriers that often make it hard for underserved youth to access the same opportunities as others.
“The young people at Gateway are at a pivotal point in their lives,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Steering them toward jobs, support, and community can be transformational."
The event came together in partnership with Goodwill’s GoodJobs and JumpStart programs, which have hosted quarterly resource and career fairs at Gateway West for over two years. Tuesday’s fair marked the first time that model was brought to Gateway Young Adult.
“Our goal is to connect the young people staying at Gateway Young Adult with as many opportunities as possible by bringing the jobs and resources to them,” said Justin Schmitter, GoodJobs and JumpStart program manager, Goodwill Industries of New Mexico. “We’ve seen how well it goes at Gateway West, and we’re excited to bring those same benefits to this group.”
The 27 participating organizations represented the full spectrum of what a young adult working toward independence needs access to: ABQ Transit Safety, Catholic Charities, YDI NM, City of Albuquerque, America’s Job Center – WIOA Youth, Kirtland Credit Union, JAG NM, Barrett Foundation, Presbyterian Medicaid, U.S. Army, Sandia Crest Behavioral Health, DVR NM, RVBH, Cocaine Anonymous, Albuquerque Job Corps, Perfectly Imperfect, NMCAN, Serenity Mesa, NM Department of Health, Casa Q, United Way 211, H-2 High Fidelity Wraparound, Ethos Literacy, NAMI, NM Workforce Stability & Pre-Apprenticeship Program, and UNM.
“The partnerships we’re building around Gateway Young Adult are designed to make sure no one gets left behind,” said HHH Director Gilbert Ramírez. "These people are working to build stable, independent lives, and they deserve a community that meets them with the same energy.”
The Gateway Young Adult Housing and Navigation Center, located at 2424 San Mateo NE, is Albuquerque’s first City-owned facility dedicated to young adults ages 18-25 experiencing homelessness. Opened in April 2026 and operated by Youth Development Incorporated (YDI) in partnership with HHH, the center provides 90-day transitional housing for up to 41 young adults at a time along with housing navigation, trauma-informed case management, behavioral health support, job readiness training, financial literacy, and life skills development. Since opening this year, the center has already served 47 young adults, with 10 securing stable housing, seven gaining employment and two completing their GED or high school diploma.
Resource and career fairs are part of a growing calendar of programming at Gateway Young Adult designed to bring the broader community into the center and create direct pathways to opportunity for residents. Upcoming events include financial literacy workshops with on-site bank account openings, CNM and UNM information sessions with admissions support, and health screenings, all aimed at ensuring that residents leave the center both housed and equipped for a bright future.
The Gateway Young Adult Housing and Navigation Center is part of the City of Albuquerque’s Gateway System of Care, operated in partnership with Youth Development Incorporated. For more information, visit cabq.gov/health-housing-homelessness/gateway-system-of-care/young-adult-campus or call 311.