Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller charts path to abundance in State of the City Address

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller touched on multiple talking points and issues in the 2026 State of the City Address, Saturday, August 15. In his third term, Keller used his ninth State of the City Address to outline a strategy centered on sharing public resources, reducing government barriers and improving “residents’ daily lives.

“It’s about a city abundance agenda that is about sharing what we have instead of protecting and hoarding it,” said Keller. “It is about making your life a little bit easier each day. We’ve got to put abundance at the forefront of our public policy instead of scarcity.”

Mayor Keller said this cannot succeed unless residents feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods and public spaces. “None of this strategy works if we are not safe as a community,” said Keller. “Crime is going down in Albuquerque. It doesn’t mean we feel safer, but we know the statistics are going in the right direction.” Keller added that the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) would continue focusing on violent crime, drug houses and businesses associated with illegal drug activity.

The mayor also highlighted a violence-intervention program that will connect high school students with services and mentors who have lived experience, including people who were formerly incarcerated. “It has shown for every kid in the program roughly an 80% increase in their grades and an 80% drop in any criminal activity,” Keller said. The mayor said the program is operating in four high schools currently. “We just finished offering it to every high school in Albuquerque. This is going to make a difference in our city.”

Mayor Tim Keller emphasized the Albuquerque Community Safety Department’s (ACS) role in responding to behavioral-health, mental-health and other nonviolent calls. He said the department has now taken 150,000 calls from the 911 system. “Those are all calls APD did not have to respond to so they could focus on violent crime.” He also said Chicago and Seattle had studied Albuquerque’s model. “Last week, the city of Chicago was here visiting to copy our Community Safety Department and six months before that, Seattle was here doing the same thing.”

The Mayor also mentioned responding to homelessness with a focus on individualized care. He said this includes housing, addiction, behavioral-health and transportation needs. “We have to start treating individuals like people who have their own history and their own needs instead of just by location,” said Keller. “We have to build our system around the actual individual.” He also said this approach includes diversion from jail, transportation, shelter beds and assistance with personal belongings.

As for the homeless in the city, Mayor Keller called for a new public compact that provides meaningful help to people experiencing living homelessness or addiction while keeping shared spaces safe and accessible. “Public spaces have to be for everyone,” said Keller. “It is not illegal to sit at a bench in a park and it’s also not illegal to walk down the street, but it is illegal to do drugs in our parks.” “We have to have compassion to actually get people real help, but we also have to make sure that the public domain is there for all of us to enjoy together.”

To help address this issue, Keller said the Gateway System of Care is providing shelter and services to individuals, families and teenagers. “It’s finally up and running and it takes care of 1,200 people every night in this city,” said Keller. He also said ACS is helping connect people on the streets or in emergency rooms with Gateway services. “ACS is transporting almost 600 folks a month from the streets into the Gateway System.” “They’re also diverting 2,000 people from emergency rooms into places like the Gateway System, where they can get the right kind of care.”

One way Mayor Tim Keller said the city can help reduce visible homelessness will require more treatment and diversion options, as well as additional state support for the Gateway System and housing assistance. “We should not have to grovel for resources for the Gateway System,” said Keller. “It’s the single most needed right thing now in our city and we should not have to beg for housing vouchers.”

The Mayor also brought up housing and affordability among residents trying to buy a home or rent an apartment in the city. Keller said Albuquerque’s rules have traditionally limited people to single-family homes and he wants his administration to manufacture homes and find easier ways to build them. “We’re going to start by democratizing what it means to actually decide for yourself what your home should be,” said Keller. “You pick what type, and you’ll have options, choices to actually decide what home means for you.”

Also, Keller said his administration’s Available City Properties initiative would allow vacant or underused public land to be leased, purchased or used for projects such as housing, businesses and community gardens. “You can use all our city land,” said Keller. “We just rolled this out yesterday.” This initiative was announced August 13 by the City of Albuquerque. “There might be a 99-year lease for $1 a year.” “Basically, we’re going to let you use it for next to nothing, to put our land to good use.”

Mayor Keller said certified childcare providers could use underused city buildings without paying for the space. “We are just going to let any childcare group that is certified and all that can use our space for free,” said Keller. “We’re going to give you dozens of buildings to take care of our kids for the next generation.” He also said the city plans to make gyms, community centers and event spaces more accessible after normal business hours. “We are going to let you rent and use our facilities seven days a week and we’re going to let you use them in the evenings.”

One of the last things the mayor addressed was a proposed program that would allow residents to take surplus produce and eggs to four city health and social-service centers for distribution. “So, we’re creating the Backyard Exchange,” said Keller. “We’re going to connect the people with extra to the people who need it.” “That is demonstrating food and abundance here in Albuquerque.”