The unhoused have options in Farmington, San Juan County

BY DAVID EDWARD ALBRIGHT

HERALD STAFF WRITER

In recent weeks, a man lodged himself and belongings on the metal bench in front of The Dusty Attic, 111 W. Main St. He propped his backpack, and set bags and hodgepodge gear down. He entered the store more than once.

He was undisturbed for a few hours until a Farmington police officer arrived and questioned him. He seemed to be uncooperative about moving on.

Soon a second officer arrived, then another. They all questioned him before cuffing his hands behind his back and escorting him around the corner. One officer loaded up his belongings, and he disappeared.

It is not an uncommon scene in Farmington, and it might be increasing as other cities in the Four Corners lose options for the unhoused, according to Kristine Carlson-Werito of Presbyterian Medical Services.

“I think we definitely felt the impact when some of the shelter options changed up in Durango and Albuquerque,” she said. This occurred in summer 2022.

Carlson-Werito believes that homelessness is a national problem.

“What makes our issues in the San Juan County region is the transient nature of our population,” she said. “Many homeless individuals travel between Albuquerque, Gallup, Farmington and Durango. When Purple Cliffs vacated in Durango some homeless traveled this way, which of course can strain resources.”

The Farmington Police Department faces a difficult challenge in dealing with the homeless.

“It is not illegal to be homeless or intoxicated publicly in New Mexico,” said police spokeswoman Shanice Gonzales in an email.

Officers can ask a person to leave a location if they’re trespassing or loitering, but they can take action only when enforcing a law. Park Rangers (noncertified) patrol the parks and downtown area.

“We also have a detox center ... can offer these services, but if they are declined, there is nothing we do to force them to accept services,” Gonzales said.

However, Farmington offers several options for getting out of the cold.

Carlson-Werito said they accommodate intoxicated and sober people at 1620 Ojo Court, on New Mexico Highway 371, west of Farmington.

The Sobering Center and Expansion also provides shelter for intoxicated and sober people. The Sobering Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. Intoxicated people get a health screen, then they can stay and sober up, she said.

“Individuals can stay for up to 11 hours – it’s voluntary. If they’re still intoxicated, they can stay another 1,” she said.

Expansion is for sober people who need a place to spend the night. It’s open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. all week and year-round.

“Any individual who is sober and over the age of 18 can stay (over night) at Expansion,” Carlson-Werito said. They can stay as many nights as they need, she said.

The Sobering Center has 40 beds, and the Expansion, 44. Carlson-Werito said they’re working on a name change for this facility, which does provide meals. Staffing for both facilities is about 28, including mental health assistants and EMTs. Showers and laundry are available. The hotline is (505) 609-3520.

The nearby Totah Behavioral Health Authority, 1615 Ojo Court, provides outpatient services, traditional Diné healing, and group and individual therapy.

Health care is available through the Farmington Community Health Center, 1001 West Broadway. Call (505) 3274796 for an appointment.

Presbyterian Medical Services, a private nonprofit agency, works with the city of Farmington, San Juan County

See UNHOUSED, 4B

PATH is the primary facility for the homeless in Farmington.

DAVID EDWARD ALBRIGHT/ Durango Herald photos

A couple of people seek refuge in downtown Farmington’s Orchard Park on Dec. 22.

Continued from 3B

and San Juan Regional Medical Center, which in combination fund the Sobering Center and Expansion.

“I think San Juan County and the city of Farmington have made huge efforts to try to address these issues. We have the first sobering center in the state and one of the first in the country.”

In 2022, they had a combined admissions of 8,541 for sobering and extension, with 1,053 unique users, said Carlson-Werito, who has worked for PMS for more than 20 years.

PATH, the primary alternative, gives shelter to those who are working to improve their lives, by providing “information, guidance and support services.” People Assisting the Homeless also promises “a hot, nutritious meal for those in need free of charge.”

“I can only say that PATH serves that niche of homeless clients that are ready and willing to remain sober and clean during their stay at PATH and are provided with a social worker to help guide them in the areas they need assistance,” said Jeanette deKay, PATH cohort and Four Corners Foundation vice president.

“The goal of PATH is to help get their clients off the streets and back to being a productive member of society by providing the resources they need to achieve this,” she said. “PATH requires that they look for a job and puts one-half of their income in savings for a future apartment, etc.

“While many clients are ready and willing to follow PATH’s ‘rules,’ unfortunately, many are not ready for sobriety, so they turn to other options for shelter, which are available in San Juan County.”

PATH declined to be interviewed for this article.

Anna Krustsky, executive director of San Juan County Partnership, said her organization developed the most extensive and current database regarding issues of home-lessness, substance abuse, alcohol traffic fatalities, graduation rates and mental health.

San Juan County Partnership, Presbyterian Medical Services and San Juan County have collaborated to work on the problem of finding affordable, efficient housing.

“We have more people experiencing homelessness ... and we have a lack of inventory (affordable housing) at market value for those in need,” she said. “We have a group – the ‘homeless solutions’ work group – that is working on this issue.”

San Juan County Partnership, 1515 E. 20th St. in Farmington, says on its website that it offers services and financial assistance to families that have an eviction notice or a three-day notice of nonpayment. The rental must be under San Juan County’s Fair Market Rent and pass inspection. There also are income limits.

San Juan County’s Mental Wellness Resource Center, 814 W. Maple St., offers potential clients a 45-minute assessment with a mentor to determine income and housing circumstances, said Wendy Gouge. They’re then referred to PATH or to the Sobering Center and Expansion for emergency situations.

Gouge said San Juan County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dave Smith serves as a crisis negotiator. She said he’s received extensive training to assist in cases such as suicide intervention.

Help with housing

Other local agencies serve to refer those in need and to assist financially when appropriate.

Lt. Christopher Rockwell, with the Salvation Army, 319 W. Broadway, said they always welcome donations of snack bags, blankets, clothes and hygiene items. New Beginnings, 1200 W. Apache St., offers transitional housing for a year – “rent and utilities cost-free.” Because it is not a crisis shelter, some cases may be referred to other agencies.

“If someone is in crisis we ask them what led them to that situation, any contributing factors, do they have children, a job, transportation,” said Devin Long, finance and community outreach administrator.

Domestic cases likely would be referred to Family Crisis Center for resources until they are placed in an “on-campus house.” Others may be referred to PATH, she said.

“Navajo United Methodist Center is our umbrella, kind of our oversee agency, but we do business as New Beginnings – since 1994,” Long said. Some of their funding comes from that source, but she said the community is the “top source.” They’re expanding their services and offering more resources on campus, Long said.

A question of race?

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently released its 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part 1 to Congress. The report found 582,462 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2022, a 0.3% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness from 2020 to 2022.

The survey also found that while the number the unhoused increased slightly compared with 2020, it rose significantly for people with disabilities, and homelessness among single people increased by 3.1%. The number of the chronically homeless – people with disabilities and long-term homeless – increased by 16% between 2020 and 2022.

People who identify as Black, African American, African and Indigenous people continue to be overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness.

So, what happened to the man camped outside The Dusty Attic on Farmington’s Main Street?

The police department didn’t know. The data is limited.

The department only tracks arrested people who list “homeless” as their address. The data does not count people who list a P.O. Box or “other” as their address.

Gonzales said that using the address as “homeless” for the arrested man has remained relatively the same since 2018. In 2018, 84 “homeless” people were arrested. That number fell to 74 in 2019, 67 in 2020, 76 in 2021 and 81 in 2022. Officers were asked to use caution with homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in 2020.

“I can’t search for a location in our systems on a given day and find anything,” Gonzales said in an email. “It’s really by case number, incident number, officer, name, Social or date of birth.”