This is the main Albuquerque Shelter, and is probably the BEST homeless shelter in ABQ.  Not what you expected me to say? (the bar is set pretty low, in fact there is NO bar!)
It's true, this shelter is very safe, and your property is reasonably safe, what I mean by "reasonably" don't leave your phone, wallet, purse or anything that could be easily taken without someone noticing, unattended or on your bed! If you have a valuable item that you value, take it with you or lock it in your storage drawer (more of a cage, reminds me of a lobster trap) bring your own lock, though just pushing it under your bed is going to stop 99% of all thieves from taking it (we have cameras in all the dorms) if something is missing just ask security to check the video! The people here are mostly normal, some have mental issues, but none are really bad, most people follow the "golden rule" (treat people the way you want to be treated) the modern version is: (respect other people and they will respect you) My favorite saying: "love one another, and you too will be loved" is the root of the golden rule.

Breakfast at 9am is a bowl of Ceral of your choice, fruit cup or banana and 1% milk or Soy milk. Lunch is at 12pm people under 60 yrs old, juice box, chips, sandwich or chicken/tuna noodle salad. We have a refrigerator and microwave in every dorm, plus filtered water dispensers and bottled water. Senior meals are M-F by Meals-on-wheels. milk, 3 compartment tray, and a fruit cup, or cookie or whatever the feel like including... Some meals are good others are very bizarre. Dinner is served between 5:45 and 6:30 pm, this is a hot meal 6 days of the week and a sub sandwich with potato or noodle salad on Sunday, the weekly meals are different each day, but always hot and filling, 3 types of breaded chicken breast, and one processed breaded chicken patty, Hot link sausage, Bean chimichanga with beans and rice, Pene Pasta with bolognese sauce and corn on the bottom, you will always find corn or green beans at the bottom of your food and a dinner roll with every hot meal. These meals are catered in by Old Town Catering. We also get either a snack or another diner tray around 11pm... You will not starve or go hungry at West Side!

No mold or mildew in the showers, the floor coverings ars less than 3 years old, the beds are all less than 3 years old, they are on the extra firm side, so bring a sleeping bag and a pillow (you will be glad you did!) you can go outside whenever you want, and stay as long as you want (given you follow the rules)

• NO WEAPONS
• NO WEED
• NO EXTENSION CORDS
• NO POWER STRIPS
• NO NON-MEDICAL APPLIANCES

The lights come on at 5am, and off at 10pm. you don't have to get-up or go unless you want to.
If you do leave, you can leave your stuff in the dorm(don;t take too much with you, because the bus driver may not let you on with more than a backpack and a large shopping bag (Matilda the not so nice bus driver makes up rules on the fly)
The City of Albuquerque and CPLC do not believe ADA II is applicable to homeless  we have 1 and only 1 dorm with a handicap bathroom stall and fully accessible showers, they closed and locked the dorm, and moved all of the men over 60 to dorm "A" this dorm is completely inaccessible, though there are 2 LOCKED handicap accessible bathroom's that we can use, if you can find someone with a key to let you in. After making dorm "A" into the crippled and old folks dorm, they filled all of the upper bunks with healthy young (and addicted) people that vape 5-MeO-DMT all day and night, the effects of their drug use on me starts with numbness in my mouth tightness/ sharp pain in my chest and extremely high blood pressure 180/70 or higher just from smelling the second hand vape, the facility does nothing to stop the drug use, OD's are a daily occurrence, your experience will probably be better! 

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West Side is a money pit!
The plumbing is old and wore out, all of the HVAC units need replaced the transportation costs are beyond sustainability, the facility is 25 miles from town!

It would be cheaper to build several new shelters, than to continue pouring money into this one!

The facility(s) do NOT need to be a masterpiece of architecture, in fact a KOA style campground with a store, mess hall and several out-buildings for showers and bathrooms, with fence storage space, trash can, picnic table and a fire place at each camp site, let people "camp for free" this would end all of the tent cities if people were treated like campers, e.g., they pay $2.00 per day or clean/work 1 hour per week, have security patrol for fighting or noise and hand out tickets, treat homeless like citizens aka people. The city could hire homeless to construct the campground(s) men and women will voluntarily work if they can, it gives us a sense of purpose and healing, the mess hall could have a commercial kitchen and allow NPO's to serve the homeless, thereby giving charitable groups a place to give and love one another.

This place has had several names, I call it "Gibson Gateway" This is another housing program that lacked actual Case Managers, and housing to place residents in.

The only low income housing was a new apartment built at Eubank and Central, it offered 25 Program Based Vouchers (PBV) that were in competition with several hundred people on Albuquerque Housing Authority waiting list, I know of one person that was awarded a voucher (congrats, Poco & Chuck!)

My experience was bad here too, the requirement to get into the "program" was an income, a social security card and a Birth certificate.

The staff was dead set to get me signed up for social security, even though I have an income and do not want to draw SS until I reach 70yrs old, and they DEMANDED that I produce my ss card and birth certificate to copy for their records (that sent up a red flag) I have a real ID, I have an income, I don't want SS because I will be 70 in a couple of short years (ss pays 75% before you turn 65, 100% from 65 to 70 and 125% 70 and over) when you claim SS you are locked in at that rate for the rest of your life. I'm healthy even though I have some health issues, I don't smoke, drink or do drugs , I will live for at least another 20 years.

Bottom line, Steven and James wanted me out of there program after 2 months Steven kicked me out for not giving him or the temp. staff my birth certificate.

The food was OK, very redundant and loaded in carbs, but nothing stopping anyone from leaving or buying your own food (unless you have an appointment every morning) several microwaves and refrigerators, although they kept setting appointments day after day for the exact same thing, the purpose was to cause me to miss an appointment so they had a reason to kick me out, I didn't miss any appointments and still got kicked out!

This is not a homeless shelter it is a transitional housing program:

Transitional housing programs under HUD are designed to assist homeless individuals or families in moving towards independent living, typically for up to 24 months, with supportive services. These programs are governed by federal regulations, including 24 CFR Part 91 and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program regulations, which outline the legal framework and requirements for such housing initiatives.

The program is operated by Community Bridges Inc. Yet another Pheonix, Az non-profit, why wont the city of Albuquerque contract with local non-profits? or better yet form it's own non-profit corporation that could more effectively manage tax-payer property, instead of enriching inept foreign Non-profits that can't seem to follow the simplest HUD guideline?

As long as money and careers are being made from homelessness it will never end!

I recently stayed at AOC/Heading Home, and was kicked out after just 4 days...
No I didn't do anything illegal, or even break any rules, this was more of a DEI decision because in the opinion of Aspen, a self-proclaimed "case manager" who, by her own admission is attending CNM to get her associate's in social work (ASW).

If you know what is required to become a Case manager or have ACM certification, you know that you first need a bachelors degree in SW or Nursing and then pass the certification exam along with an internship, but at AOC/Heading home all you need is a high school diploma to manage sensitive personal documents. 

 Post Graduate studies: Effective case management in social work or nursing requires strong communication, empathy, and critical thinking skills to understand and address clients' unique needs. Additionally, organization, active listening, and advocacy are crucial for coordinating care and improving client outcomes.
 socialwork.buffalo.edu nycourts.gov

The 30 day program is all about (non-existent) housing, the program is completely managed by "case management" (Aspen) decides if you stay or go and in my case after verbally telling me I could stay for 30 days received a notice the following day stating that I had to leave the next day...

Your experience will likely be better!

They no longer force residents out at 6am, the new time is 7:30am; and
10:30 on Sat and Sunday.
Pickup is at 5:30 and 7:30pm at the NW corner of 1st and Gold across from ATC;
Drop off is at the same location.

The beds are still terrible; you can no longer have any of your own bedding/sleeping bags, or pillows.

They do not serve food, though food donations are common.
Another rule that changed; you can now walk-up, rather than requiring you to ride a bike or drive (it was really that ridicules) the earliest you can show up at the door is 4:30pm.

 1

We have two school buses departing from Gateway West and from "The Bridge" at each hourly interval.

One of the buses is HANDI-CAP ACCESSIBLE the other is NOT**

Do not attempt to access the non-accessible bus with a walker or wheel chair, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON!

---ADA does not apply to this situation, since the city and GW have made an alternative and accessible bus available-- THIS MITIGATES CITY AND GATEWAY LIABILITY, not that this relieves the City or Gateway from other forms or violations of the Act.

DEPARTING -- GATEWAY WEST

• 6AM --> M-F --> BRIDGE
• 7AM --> M-F --> BRIDGE
• 8AM --> M-F --> ST.MARTIN
• 8AM --> M-F --> NOON-DAY

 

 ARRIVAL -- GATEWAY WEST

• 3PM --> M-F --> BRIDGE-2 buses
• 3:15 PM --> M-F --> ST.MARTIN 1 bus
• 3:30 PM --> M-F --> HCH-1 bus
• 4PM --> M-F --> BRIDGE 2 buses
• 5PM --> M-F --> BRIDGE-2 buses
• 6PM --> M-F --> BRIDGE-2 buses
• 7PM --> M-F --> BRIDGE-2 buses

The Bridge is at 1st and Indian school, pick-up is: (north side of I-40 overpass A.K.A., "the bridge").

City bus Routes 8 & 10 to pick-up points

10 runs north and south on 4th street from A.T.C. to Alameda.
Exit the bus between the I-40 overpass and Menaul, the first stop after the overpass is closest. 
8 runs East and West on Menaul, exit tje bus between Broadway and 4th street and walk down the south side of` Menaul to 1st then south 3 blocks to "The Bridge"

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 A Modest, Evidence‑Based Enhancement for Gateway West: One Voluntary Sober Living Dorm

Gateway West serves an essential role in Albuquerque's homelessness response system, housing approximately 500–800 individuals at any given time. Many residents arrive directly from detox facilities, hospitals, or short‑term (often 30‑day) treatment programs with a stated desire to remain sober.

What happens next is well‑documented—and predictable.

 Why Environment Matters After Treatment

Substance use disorder is now widely recognized as a chronic condition, not an acute one. National data show that 40–60% of people relapse within the first year after treatment, with the highest risk occurring in the first weeks and months after discharge, particularly when aftercare support is limited or housing is unstable. [addictiongroup.org] (https://www.addictiongroup.org/resources/relapse-rates-statistics/), [nida.nih.gov] (https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery)

Housing environment plays a decisive role:

Roughly one‑third of people entering treatment report unstable housing, which is strongly associated with poorer outcomes.
[recoveryanswers.org](https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/recovery-resident-positive-outcomes/)

Being released from treatment into environments with **active substance use dramatically increases relapse risk**, even among highly motivated individuals.
[recoveryanswers.org] (https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/deeper-dive-recovery-residence-participants-who-more-likely-use-them-how-affect-engagement-outpatient-care/)

Expecting sustained sobriety in a 65‑person dorm where drugs are readily available is not a reflection of effort or willpower—it is a structural mismatch between treatment and setting.

 What the Research Shows About Sober Living

Multiple peer‑reviewed studies demonstrate that recovery housing (sober living) substantially improves outcomes when used as a bridge after treatment:

A large longitudinal study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that abstinence rates increased from 11% at entry to 68% after 6–12 months in sober living environments, alongside reductions in arrests and improvements in employment.
[rightsideliving.org](https://rightsideliving.org/what-studies-say-about-sober-living-homes/)

A statewide California study of 455 sober living residents found that ind

•     induals who stayed **6 months or longer** experienced:
•     ~8% more days abstinent**
•     35% lower odds of having an active substance use disorder**
•     Fewer legal and psychiatric problems.

[tandfonline.com]-(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00952990.2023.2245123)

A 2025 systematic review by Harvard/MGH concluded that recovery housing consistently outperforms "treatment as usual" or no housing intervention on abstinence, employment, and cost‑effectiveness.
[frontiersin.org](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/publichealth/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1506412/full)

These outcomes are not dependent on intensive clinical services; they are primarily driven by substance‑free environment, peer accountability, and stability.

 Practical Pilot Proposal for Gateway West

Gateway West already consists of 10 dorms of roughly 65 residents each.
We propose piloting a single voluntary sober living dorm, representing only a small fraction of capacity.

Key features:

   🔹 One dorm only
   🔹 Participation is voluntary, not mandatory
   🔹 Clear expectation of no drugs or alcohol in the unit
   🔹 Peer accountability model, not punitive enforcement
   🔹 Priority access for individuals exiting detox or short‑term treatment

This aligns with SAMHSA‑recognized recovery housing best practices and allows Gateway West to serve individuals at different stages of change under one roof.
[library.samhsa.gov](https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/housing-supports-pep24-08-007.pdf),
[maaetc.org](https://www.maaetc.org/files/attachment/attachment/9732/SAMHSA_BestPracticesForRecoveryHousing.pdf)

 Why This Benefits Everyone

Even modest recovery‑support housing interventions are associated with:

 

• Reduced emergency room utilization
• Reduced incarceration and law enforcement involvement
• Higher treatment retention rates
• Lower long‑term public costs compared to repeated relapse cycles

. [frontiersin.org](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1506412/full), [aspe.hhs.gov](https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/reentry-housing-stability)

Importantly, this proposal does not remove services from residents who are still actively using. It simply creates a clear, realistic pathway for those who want to continue treatment gains.

 A Collaborative Opportunity

We respectfully encourage the City of Albuquerque and CPLC Inc. to consider a **6–12 month pilot** of a voluntary sober living dorm at Gateway West, with shared outcome tracking such as:

•   Length of stay
•   Return to treatment
•   Emergency service utilization
•   Self‑reported sobriety goals

This is not a critique of Gateway West—it is an opportunity to **strengthen an already vital system** using approaches proven to work elsewhere and already endorsed in Albuquerque's own recovery housing planning efforts. [cabq.gov](https://www.cabq.gov/health-housing-homelessness/documents/recover-housing-study_final.pdf)

Are you experiencing homelessness for the first time or are you sleeping outdoors and need a break from camping, but heard nothing but bad news about "The West Side Shelter" Now known as Gateway West?

Don't be scared of the place, it has been remodeled with new floors and new beds, this is a very clean, and safe environment (no black mold or decaying dorms)

News channels like to portray homeless and low-income facilities as dreadful places full of gloom, doom and disease, that is simply not true!
 
Every congregate living facility is going to have isolated incidents and with up to 800 residents each day, plumbing is bound to break, and floors will be dirty, but an hour later the floors are cleaned, and the plumbing emergency is solved, sometimes the city is a little slow with maintenance, but we always have a work around, e.g., I live in "G" dorm and the showers have been down for 2 weeks, not perfect, but the work around is to use the showers in dorm "L" no big deal and if you don't want to put up with a little inconvenience, you always have the option to move to a different dorm.

You may have heard about a "jail house mentality" some people do act that way, those people don't last very long, first outburst and they are sent to the front of the building to cool off, for four hours the staff watches them carefully and if they can't behave they are suspended for 1 to 30 days.

Fighting? I have never seen an actual fight in here!
A lot of fluff and bluster, then security shows up and they either learn to get along real fast or they get suspended for 30 days!

Theft is another thing that people believe is rampant (it's not) we have video surveillance in every dorm, hallway and outdoors, just ask security to check the cameras and they will kick the thief out for 30 days min., usually the item was just misplaced, but just last week one of the residents was kicked out of our dorm for stealing an iPhone from another resident, the video was checked and the thief gave the phone back to it's owner; the thief was suspended for 30 days!

The bottom line, this place is safe, your property is secure, you can stay as long as you want and you get hot showers, warm beds and 3 square meal a day!

If you have pets, they're welcome too!

Your pets must stay with you at all times, if you have snakes, hamsters, horses, or animals other than dogs and cats, you will need special permission from one of the facility supervisor's prior to coming out here!

We are located over 12 miles from a city bus route; it's a very long walk!

Bedbug's! I hate to say it, but yes, bedbugs are an issue.
The management has hot boxes to kill bedbugs if you have infestation, heat kills them and the eggs quickly, but you will need to put your items in a hot box for at least 3 hours just to be sure every last egg is dead!

The City of ABQ sprays each dorm every 3 months to mitigate most of the bedbugs, but they can't stop new or existing clients from bringing them in and people collecting questionable (dumpster finds) items...

We also have a new laundry room with 8 new washers and dryers (no more West Side washing machine, A.K.A., 5 gal bucket) the machines are Whirlpool with a retrofitted big button control panel that makes them easy for anyone to use!

Breakfast: Served @ 9AM daily - Your choice of Kelloggs Cereal bowl with UHT box milk and fruit or apple sauce.
(UHT stands for Ultra Heat treated, it is real milk and safer to drink than regular milk, because the bacteria that causes spoilage is killed during the heat process. - It has a shelf life of about one year unopened)

Lunch: Served Daily @ Noon-ish - Sandwich or chicken noodle salad w/ chips and juice box.

Mon-Friday seniors 60+ receive Meals on wheels lunches
Subday is Smucker's Uncrustables grape or Strawberry PB&J chips and juice box.

Dinner Served daily between +/- 5PM-6PM Hot meal prepared by Old Town Catering, This company does the impossible!
They make and deliver 600-800 HOT nutritious meals 6 days a week, within budget and dinner always includes a dinner roll!
My favorite is their delicious Southern fried chicken breast, mashed potatoes and vegetable with a warm dinner roll.

Least favorite is the bean burrito with beans and rice and warm dinner roll. What's your favorite and least favorite dinner at Gateway west?

Tell us about the meals at the other Gateway programs!
(I'm sure you have heard "there is no such thing as a FREE meal" be nice, they don't have to feed us anything...)