May 9, 2025 Community Hall Newsletter
Hello, Albuquerque,
In this city, we meet challenges head-on with compassion, accountability, and action. We're making real strides in what matters most: making everyone feel included, keeping our neighborhoods safe, and helping those who need it most.
We recently reopened the newly renovated Loma Linda Community Center, now the permanent home for our Inclusive Recreation Program, offering adaptive programming and accessible spaces for all ages and abilities. We also reopened Phil Chacon Park, a fully revitalized 20-acre space in the International District, complete with a turf sports field, updated playgrounds, basketball and futsal courts, a BMX pump track, softball fields, a dog park, a disc golf area, a walking path, 359 trees, and 85 lights. This is a long-overdue investment in one of our most historic neighborhoods. We opened the new BMX pump track and dog park at Los Altos Park, too, adding to the park’s growing list of amenities
We passed a new ordinance to crack down on motels that have become magnets for crime and unsafe conditions. And we continued expanding the Gateway Network, Albuquerque’s connected system of facilities and services that help people experiencing homelessness get the support they need. The new micro-community, Gateway Recovery, is open to offer addiction treatment and interim housing to folks with substance use disorder and our unsheltered community. At the Gateway Center, we continue to expand our reach. The medical respite facility has welcomed clients, giving people like Loddy a safe place to recover after the hospital on their path to housing.
But even as we make progress locally, we’re facing serious threats from Washington. Extreme federal budget proposals could slash the funding we rely on to house families, respond to mental health crises, and invest in climate resilience. As we continue to Defend ABQ, we’re standing up to protect Albuquerque’s fair share by fighting for the services our families depend on and the future our residents deserve.
As part of that work, we’re encouraging more Safe Outdoor Spaces, secure, small-scale sites operated by nonprofits, churches, and community partners that offer people a dignified place to rest and access services. These spaces aren’t run by the City, but we’re stepping up to support them by offering land near Gateway West and providing technical assistance to interested groups. Designed to serve 20 or fewer people, these sites are easier to manage, less disruptive to neighborhoods, and offer a critical first step toward stability.
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to emphasize the importance of recovery and access to care. We know mental wellness is essential to community safety. Tell your friends about the Albuquerque Community Safety department, which has transformed how we respond to 911 calls—sending trained behavioral health responders instead of law enforcement to help people in crisis.
Whether it’s creating new pathways to housing, transforming public spaces, or standing up for vital services, we’re doing the work to make our city stronger.
We’re full committed to the city, and we will always defend our community
Sincerely,
Mayor Tim Keller
This month, Mayor Tim Keller highlighted:
- Supporting Safe Outdoor Spaces
- Crime Drops Across the Board in 2025
- Mental Health Matters
- Cracking Down on Problem Motels
- City Halts Fiber Work to Protect Neighborhoods
- Looking for Fun Things to Do in Albuquerque?