Oct. 31, 2025 Community Hall Newsletter

Happy Halloween, Albuquerque!

Tricks and treats aside, what’s been truly spooky lately is a nationwide creepy-crawling of inflated costs stacked on top of fewer jobs, lower wages and less federal support — with more on the way due to a disastrous ongoing government shutdown. Boo indeed! So we’ve worked out ways to help lighten the burden throughout our community.

While looking out for everyone in the City has always been a priority, we’ve amped it up to address the unthinkable slashing of SNAP. Anyone losing their benefits or needing food can call 311 or visit our Health and Social Services centers for supplies. We’ve also compiled numerous other ways to tap into support and cut costs through our Affordable ABQ project. Whether you’re seeking quality food, our groundbreaking free childcare, education resources, housing and utilities assistance, or no- and low-cost recreation, we’ve made it easy to access all sorts of options.

Homegrown businesses are a huge part of our economy, and the City continues to have their backs too. We’ve reopened our Window Grant program covering 80% of repair costs to help local spots recover from vandalism or break-ins. Our Small Business Office  keeps lifting up more and more aspiring entrepreneurs, and Job Training Albuquerque is equipping people with new skills that boost their wages.

Through the Campaign for Growth we’re aiming to create 1,000 new jobs by 2028 in solid sectors like film, aerospace, bioscience, and tech while making daily life more affordable. We are also the only city offering free casita construction plans that, along with faster permitting, save people time and money while adding more housing and upping the value of what’s often a family’s biggest investment.

As I mentioned last time, Albuquerque was recently named one of the top 10 U.S. cities for economic growth. That’s a direct reflection of living our values: invest in people, strengthen small businesses, and make Albuquerque more affordable for everyone.

If we keep looking out for each other we’ll all come out ahead,

Mayor Tim Keller

P.S. If you can pitch in, please consider dropping off nonperishable food items at any of our Health and Social Services Centers or making a donation to the One Albuquerque Fund.

This month, Mayor Tim Keller highlighted:

• Mayor Issues Executive Order Targeting Affordability, Food Insecurity and SNAP Uncertainty
• Window Grant Keeps Neighborhoods Tip-Top
• Small Business Office Helps Local Entrepreneurs