Santa Fe Hesitates on Homeless Outreach Contract

Santa Fe city councilors just rejected a plan to cut ties with Urban Alchemy, the nonprofit running street outreach for the homeless, after discovering the contract’s funding for next year isn’t in the budget — a surprise since the full four-year deal wasn’t fully funded when approved. With all five Finance Committee members voting no, the proposal is on hold, not dead, as officials plan to revisit it with a better strategy. Concerns abound: ending the contract could leave a critical service gap, forcing the city back to outdated, less effective methods. Meanwhile, city leaders are exploring short-term fixes like six months of funding, federal/state grants, and partnerships with other nonprofits. Residents near shelters say Urban Alchemy’s presence has helped — though challenges like drug dealing remain. This contract pause is just one step in the city’s long road to solving homelessness. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/bd9a89eec2e48daa