You need over a quarter of a million dollars, on average, to buy a house in Albuquerque.

It’s at least twice that much in Santa Fe.

Want to rent an apartment? Even a one-bedroom will be more than $1,000 a month on average according to data from apartmentlist.com, in a state with an average household income of $54,000 before taxes. And, of course, there are plenty of New Mexicans who make less, including at least 2,600 homeless.

“We must act, and act now; lives depend on it. We must include those experiencing homelessness in the conversation,” said Karen Cain, the founder of the Street Homeless Animal Project. “Affordable housing is a must, mental health services is a must, and there are many more musts to meet the needs of our homeless brothers and sisters.”

W Advocates who worked with the homeless praised the governor’s decision to tackle the issue, but said more needs to be done.

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