Expansion and Development with Joy Junction

A Proposal to the Local Businesses of Albuquerque

Introduction
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico and attracts people from all around
with the unique culture and lifestyle that it has to offer. The heart of the city, downtown
Albuquerque is a perfect example of this, however the life is currently being extracted out of this
area due to a major issue: homelessness. In the past few years, New Mexico has experienced an
increase in homelessness and it has become a growing problem. A large portion of the homeless
population is concentrated in Albuquerque (About Homelessness).

Due to the lack of affordable housing and shelters, it has left the homeless helpless and with no
option but to call downtown streets their home. This has also led to several diminishing effects
on the community such as decrease in economic activity/property value and safety concerns. We
propose to expand our operations here in Albuquerque by opening up a second homeless shelter
location. This expansion will not only decrease homelessness in Albuquerque but also improve
the community as a whole.

The purpose of this proposal is to promote awareness to local businesses about this issue and to
make contributions in the lives of these people. To inform and benefit businesses, we offer
specific strategies that will support recovery and growth in the near future.

Current Situation
As of this year, there have been approximately 17,000 reported cases of homelessness in New
Mexico (Homelessness Facts). Many of these cases have led to the homeless taking action on
their own by creating these so called tent cities around the downtown area of Albuquerque.

The individuals that experience homelessness in Albuquerque include adults without children,
families with children, teenagers, victims of domestic violence, the mentally ill, substance
abusers, and veterans (Causes of Homelessness). The homeless population that does not live in
a shelter usually lives in areas such as abandoned buildings and empty lots (Causes of
Homelessness). In New Mexico, most of the homeless tend to utilize wide-open spaces as their
living area, which leads them to camp out.

Homelessness in Albuquerque
4,000

Number of Homeless

3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
2005

2007

2009

2011

2013

2015

*data obtained from

New Mexico
Coalition "About
Homelessness

Year

Around February 2015, the homeless were evicted from their Tent City which contained a
total of 30 tents (Pyke). City law enforcement suggested move out dates for the residents of
Tent City, however five days later the residents returned to their causal living ignoring the
eviction. To their surprise, they had returned to city employees covering the original tent site
with sharp, bowling ball-sized rocks (Pyke). However, this did not stop them from setting up
another tent city nearby. One original Tent City resident, Angel Ruiz took the citys offer of a

motel voucher to help her find a more permanent form of housing (Pyke). A week later, she
returned to Tent City. This comes to show that the state is not addressing the problem in its
entirety; instead they are providing a short-term solution by removing the homeless out of the
area and hoping that they will resolve the problem on their own.

The tent cities have made parts of the downtown area become less desirable and therefore have
decreased the flow in traffic. The city had to put in Porta Potties near the tent cities because
residents of tent city were defecating near peoples homes and in alleyways (Howerton). The
consequences of this are a drastic reduction in business and the decline in property value, which
has taken a huge economic toll on the downtown area of Albuquerque.

This issue has also led to safety concerns regarding not only the homeless but also the
community around it. Elements of crime related activities have been linked to tent city and the
surrounding area. Gilbert Montano, the deputy chief administrative officer for Albuquerque said,
Weve been monitoring that area since its beginning, and recently weve had undercover
detectives in the area too. We have evidence of prostitution, rape, human trafficking, violence
and drug-related activity in that area (Howerton). This problem started out already relatively
major and has now further escalated.

The expenses to remove tent city has become costly and those expenses should have been put
towards finding/creating housing for the homeless. If this issue is not properly addressed then
these tent cities will be returning and spreading around Albuquerque.

Project Plan Expanding Joy Junction

Our plan in addressing the tent cities of Albuquerque is to expand our shelter by creating a
second location near the downtown area. This will provide a closer distance to those in need in
the area versus our current existing location. The project plan is the base of this proposal. We
have provided detail steps as to how to accomplish the desired plan.

Step One: Legal Documentation

In order to construct and operate our facility, we will first need to obtain the necessary
documentation and paperwork to do so. This will be accomplished by contacting the City of
Albuquerque Planning Department. After this is complete, we will have the permits to begin the
next phase of construction and the paperwork that certifies us to have the shelter functioning.
This is an important step; it will be an agreement that will approximately last five years.

Step Two: Location and Construction

In order to set up our second shelter, we will need to find a location in the area. We would
contact property owners of the vacant lots that are currently available for sell or legally acquire
one of the abandoned spaces in the downtown neighborhood. After we have found our set
location, we would start constructing the shelter itself. The lots that we have reviewed are all
similar in size and price point so it would allow us to construct a shelter with an estimated square
footage of around 10,000 sq. ft., which is larger than our current shelter of 9,000 sq. ft. This will
allow more individuals to stay in our residence and it will provide a closer approximation to the
area they recognize. This will also prevent them from getting lost from searching our other
location.

Step Three: Utilities and Supplies

After the construction phase is complete, we would need to furnish the shelter with appliances
and other utilities in order to have a fully operating shelter. This would include: washing and
dryer machines, refrigerators/freezer, stoves/ovens, and other small kitchen appliances. We
would also stock the kitchens with food supplies that we usually receive as donations from the
community.

Step Four: Hire Staff and Find Volunteers

To make sure our shelter operate efficiently we will need to hire staff to run the facility as well
as find volunteers to aid the staff. We will achieve this by spreading the message through
advertisement in the hopes of reaching out to the community (schools, community centers,
religious institutions, etc.) so that we can find people who are motivated and willing to give some
of their valuable time to help the lives of others.

Step Five: Open Programs

After hiring the staff and the construction phase is completed, there will be programs available to
these individuals. These programs will be held in the shelter. The reason for this is to keep
homelessness from entering the streets and wonder off. Having programs that offer financial
assistance, and include a small clinic to attend the sick, and rehabilitation for those that need
persuasion to attend. This will be something we have not done in the past, but including these
programs it will be beneficial to homeless. Volunteers will be more than welcome to help out.

With the success and completion of these five major steps, we will be able to complete our goal
of expanding our operations to a second location to serve the homeless population downtown
where it is clearly much needed.

Qualifications
Joy Junction was officially established in 1986 here in Albuquerque. It originally started out
from a small coffee house in Santa Fe; however the founder, Jeremy Reynalds eventually
decided to resign that ministry and move it to Albuquerque. Our mission statement is to
provide a hand up to homeless and hungry women, children, and families. With food,
shelter, clothing, recovery programs, and life skills training, we empower individuals to reenter mainstream society and break the cycle of homelessness, one life at a time.
Today, Joy Junction has become the largest shelter in the state of New Mexico. Our faith-based
church ministry serves as many as 300 individuals a night. Each year we serve more than
200,000 meals due to the generous contributions of people in the community and businesses
throughout the city. However, financial constraint is the only factor that is preventing our efforts
in doing more.

Currently there are programs such as the Barrett Foundation and the Safe House that offer shortterm housing for the homeless. While these programs offer shelter and assistance, these
programs can be very limiting. For example, the Barrett Foundation offers shelter to only single
women and single women with children (Causes of Homelessness), while the Safe House offers
to only those of domestic violence (Who We Are). In contrast, Joy Junction offers emergency
and short-term essentials such as food, clothing, counseling, transportation, and shelter to

homeless women, children, and families throughout Albuquerque. We want to make a difference
in the lives of these individuals as well as improving our community by expanding our efforts
and values to a second shelter. Some of the projects we have done over the years are as follow:

Dollars Days Wishlist which is an easy way to donate and select a hygiene item to be
sent directly to our organization.

Joy Junction Thanksgiving feast provides meals to men, women, boys, and girls every
year before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Holiday Feast which means that our programs will be giving three Christmas holiday
meals for the homelessness, guest, and community.

Our staff members Joseph Krall (CFO & CDO), Jennifer Munsey (COO), Angela Dapo
(Assistant Financial Officer), Kathy Sotelo (Outreach Representative), Gene Shiplet (Chaplain),
and M. Denis Billy (Resident Services Manager) have worked so hard to provide these project
plans and have assisted with all necessary materials and supplies.

Costs and Benefits

The total cost of the expansion with a second location is to be estimated at $1,266,000. The
specifics of the total cost are divided up into four separate categories (Permits/Documentation,
Lot, Construction and Materials, and Utilities) in the table provided below.

Project Component

Estimated Cost

Permits/Documentation

$1,000

Lot

$300,000

Construction and Materials

$950,000

Utilities

$15,000

Total Cost

$1,266,000

The result of building a second location will solve multiple issues such as an increase in
business/property value and a reduction in crime rates in the area. The only Joy Junction location
that currently exists is located at 4500 2nd St SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105. This makes it
difficult for a majority of the homeless population to travel to due to its distance. The second
location would provide a closer proximity to where the homeless population is more
concentrated. By having the homeless people in the new expansion, it will eliminate the tent
cities currently existing in the downtown area. This will drastically reduce crime related
activities in the area as well as making it safer, increase business and property value, and
importantly help these individuals.

Conclusion
Joy Junction has helped thousands and thousands of homeless individuals recover and get back
up on their feet for almost two decades. We hope that you take our proposal into consideration
and join us in our efforts that will ultimately not only bring and end to the increasing
homelessness here in Albuquerque but also benefit our entire community with this solution. We

would like to thank you for your time and if you have any questions or comments, please feel
free to contact us at our corporate office at (505)-217-9586.

Works Cited
"About Homelessness." New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct.
2015. <http://www.nmceh.org/pages/homelessnessReports.html>.
"Causes of Homelessness." Barrett Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.barrettfoundation.org/causes-of-homelessness/>.
"Homelessness Facts." St. Martin's Hospitality Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.smhc-nm.org/how-you-can-help/understanding-homelessness/>.
Howerton, Matt. "City: 'Criminal Element' has infiltrated tent city." KOAT. N.p., n.d. Web. 29
Oct. 2015. <http://www.koat.com/news/city-criminal-element-has-infiltrated-tentcity/30892910>.
Pyke, Alan. "Albuquerques Homeless Will Be Evicted From Tent City For Fourth Time In Five
Weeks." Think Progress. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
<http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/03/13/3633455/albuquerque-homeless-tent-cityevictions-saga>.
Reynalds, Jeremy, Ph.D. "Albuquerque's Tent City-No Easy Solutions." Joy Junction. N.p., n.d.
Web. 29 Oct. 2015. <http://www.joyjunction.org/albuquerques-tent-city-easysolutions/>.
"Who We Are." S.A.F.E House. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. <http://safehousenm.org/
who-we-are/>.