BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. — Bernalillo County officials announced Friday that the Tiny Home Village has reached full capacity with all 30 units filled.

The village launched in February 2021 near Zuni and Texas in Albuquerque. They struggled with staffing and occupancies – only filling six units six months into being open. Then, about a year later, there were around 10 people living there with 65 on the waitlist.

The population improved to around 17 people early last year but staffing still lagged. By July, the village filled more staffing roles and kept adding new residents.

“We are thrilled to see the Tiny Home Village at full capacity and proud to have provided a safe and supportive environment for those who need it,” County Manager Julie Morgas Baca said. “This project is a testament to our commitment in providing practical solutions and support for our most vulnerable citizens.”

While living there, tenants must be working toward sobriety and learning how to be self-sufficient.

“We’re teaching them what it’s like to schedule an appointment for themselves, or we’re attending appointments with them, getting registered for SNAP services or medical benefits,” said Pamela Acosta, the county’s Behavioral Health Initiative senior manager.

Gregg Colburn is familiar with tiny homes – he has studied housing and homelessness for years and wrote the book “Homelessness is a Housing Problem.”

“I just felt like as a community we didn’t really understand what was driving the crisis and therefore, we were being relatively ineffective in the solutions that we need,” Colburn said.

Colburn was in Santa Fe this week talking to residents and city leaders about what he says is the root cause of homelessness – housing market conditions. Colburn lives in Seattle, where people who are ready to transition out of tiny homes face problems trying to get into permanent housing.

“Two issues – insufficient number of vouchers, and there’s a lot of people getting vouchers and then can’t use them because there’s not available housing,” Colburn said.

Acosta says finding affordable housing for those who are ready to transition is difficult.

“That is a challenge, especially when you have folks who are, say, on social security and it’s limited income, and to put them in something where the rent exceeds what they’re currently making it is a challenge,” Acosta said.

With the program being up to 24 months, residents do have time on their side.

“To have the time and luxury of time to look at housing options, seek out housing vouchers, get them qualified under housing waitlists,” Acosta said.