"Using five-year estimates from the Census’ 2019 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the U.S. ZIP codes with the highest poverty rates," reports Samuel Stebbins. Four of the top 50 are located in New Mexico.
#45: Cuba, 87103 50.0% poverty rate
#41: Alamo, 87825 51.4% poverty rate
#33: Mentmore, 87319 52.3% poverty rate
#27: Thoreau, 87323 52.8% poverty rate
"Poverty...(a)long with unemployment and lack of affordable housing, is...one of the most crucial reasons for homelessness," according to CAUF Society. One any given night, 1,567 people are experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque (NMCEH Point-In-Time Count, 2021). ABQ FaithWorks's Housing and Homelessness program works through a
12-congregation network to alleviate immediate needs and to partner with community service providers to connect people in need meaningfully to available services. The goal is housing and integration into healthy community.
In addition to food, clothing, hygienic supplies and bus passes, ABQ FaithWorks uses the Pathways Navigators program and a "hot" referral system to assist people in their journeys towards achieving their personal goals. The collaborative participates in and supports strategies to raise incomes of those with low income and to reduce low-income impact on critical living issues of housing, healthcare and other related life essentials. These are two strategies amidst a complex systemic response, as identified by The Brookings Institution.
Please consider joining ABQ FaithWorks as a volunteer, or with a donation that makes this important work possible. Call 505-457-1728 for more information.