Meta and NHNA neighbors,

I appreciate the well detailed email update. 

I for one have unfortunately found ACS to be largely ineffective at addressing the ongoing needs of people who are homelessness, or have mental health issues and/or substance abuse concerns in the Nob Hill, UNM, International District or Downtown areas of Albuquerque. After 2 1/2 years and millions of dollars the number of people dealing with these particular issues has grown significantly larger and I don't see how yet another government building and more money in and of itself will help. While there are certainly many complex reasons for the causes of the listed social issues, the current ACS model doesn't seem to have produced any tangible changes. 

The ACS staff are largely assigned to work Monday thru Friday, 9-5. Are those the times that the Mayor and Councilor Rogers feel that this demographic is in crisis? The employees of ACS drive around in government vehicles, primarily on the main thoroughfares, at 35mph with their tinted windows rolled up, staring down at electronic devices.  Is this an effective way to engage people in need? With the exception of the occasional "photo op" with media I've not experienced the ACS staff walking the parks, alleys, vacant buildings and places the majority of the disenfranchised population inhabit at night. 

Case in point.  Many of the people who are struggling in our community are veterans.  It's not unusual for veterans who have been in combat to find fireworks uncomfortable.  How many ACS staff were working on Independence day after 8pm to provide support??? Any??

I appreciate the faith based groups in Albuquerque choosing to provide "hygiene kits" but what are the millions of dollars the city council just allocated going to and what ongoing support for hygiene kits will be provided? If people are struggling with mental health issues their capacity to utilize the items may be diminished. If people have significant chemical addictions the kits will probably just get traded for illegal narcotics.  What is the end game?

67,000 calls for service simply tells us there is a very big problem. It's not in and of itself a measure of success. What was done during each call? Was someone given temporary housing? Was someone provided treatment for a mental health issue? Was someone moved to sobriety? 

The money was approved for this fiscal year but I for one would like to see measurable data of success before our neighborhood association supports more funding in the future for ACS.

Van

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

-------- Original message --------

From: Meta Hirschl via Neighbors_nobhill-nm <neighbors_nobhill-nm@mailman.swcp.com>

Date: 7/8/24 7:16 AM (GMT-07:00)

To: NobHill Neighbors <neighbors@nobhill-nm.com>

Subject: [Neighbors] Update on NHNA work

Nob Hill Neighborhood Association Supports the Unhoused

Baratunde Thurston’s podcast, How To Citizen, reminds us that citizenship is an action, not just a status. Beyond voting, we must work, volunteer, and contribute to our community and democracy. Each day, we should ask ourselves, "What can I do to make our lives better? What is my role as a citizen?"

On May 1st, neighbors from the Nob Hill Neighborhood Association (NHNA) gathered to explore how we could actively “citizen.” We met with community organizations supporting the unhoused, including representatives from Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS), UNM Echo, the City, and City Councilor Nicole Rogers.

Our goal was to find hands-on work to alleviate the suffering and despair we witness on our neighborhood streets. Here’s what we decided:

Our Immediate Action

We were encouraged to contact the City Council to support funding for ACS. We sent emails and letters to City Councilors, and attended meetings, both in person and remotely, to voice our support. Notably, Nob Hill resident Pat Hirschl, 91 years young, spoke to the City Council in support of ACS funding on May 20th.

The City Council voted to support ACS, with members acknowledging the numerous emails and phone calls they received in support. Thank you, NHNA!

Our Longer Term Action

The ACS Division Manager Walter Adams and his team suggested that hygiene kits with basic personal supplies are crucial for the unhoused, and they currently lack enough of them. Rev. Dr. Dawn Rosignol, pastor of Monte Vista Christian Church, has experience assembling hygiene kits through their youth program. Rev. Dawn and Meta Hirschl are co-leading this effort.

We decided to host events to assemble hygiene kits for ACS to distribute, and for neighbors to distribute directly. The kits include items such as sunscreen, chapstick/lip gloss with sunscreen, toiletries, tampons/pads, socks, tuna fish pouches, fruit cups, and a note of encouragement.

Additionally, we were invited to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the new ACS building, which all residents of Albuquerque were invited to attend.

In front of the new ACS building: ACS staff Jenny Carian, and neighbors Pat Hirschl and Bob Davis.

Here is more about Jenny:

Jenny grew up in Zuni Pueblo and holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration. She worked for five years as a Certified Nursing Assistant before spending over 10 years in healthcare administration, primarily at Presbyterian Hospital. Jenny comes to ACS from Ambercare Hospice where she was the We Honor Veterans Coordinator.

Here is more about ACS:

ACS Mission: To provide Albuquerque with a holistic,empathetic, and informed response to behavioral and mental health 911 calls.

Response are personalized ot that of the individual, family, and community so that ACS can bring “The Right Response at the Right Time”

ACS Vision: Any person can call for help and get a purposeful, humane and appropriate response.”

• ACS is a national leader in alternative public safety responses, serving our community’s most vulnerable.

• In just over two and a half years, ACS has handled over 67,000 service calls, with 80% diverted from police, showcasing effective community-based safety interventions.

• Other cities look to ACS as a model for developing similar programs.

Another longer term goal the group discussed was to promote the building of  Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in our community for those who are interested in this approach.

More to come, keep on the lookout for ways to volunteer.

Meta.

Meta Hirschl

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel

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