This week in an exclusive interview with New Mexico in Focus, host Gene Grant speaks with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller about the city's 'Housing Forward' Initiative. Grant asks the mayor how the city fell so far behind on housing, and if the plan to create 5,000 new rental units in the next two years is feasible.
The mayor also addresses the back-and-forth on safe outdoor spaces and comments on his relationship with the council given recent disagreements on homelessness issues.
In addition, The Line Opinion Panel give their impressions from the Governor's inaugural address ahead of the 2023 session. The group also reacts to the Governor's three appointments to the new Public Regulation Commission. They also explore the recent settlement plan announced for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Lastly, the panel discusses the latest developments in Albuquerque's debate over safe outdoor spaces.
New Mexico in Focus airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) Friday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 8 at 7 a.m., and streaming on the PBS video app.
NMiF Segments
Mayor Tim Keller Pt. 1: Solving Albuquerque’s Housing Crisis
Correspondent
Gene Grant
Guest
Tim Keller, Mayor of Albuquerque
Mayor Tim Keller Pt. 2: Homelessness & Safe Outdoor Spaces
Correspondent
Gene Grant
Guest
Tim Keller, Mayor of Albuquerque
The Line opinion panel
Michael Bird, former president, American Public Health Association
Merritt Allen, Vox Optima Public Relations
Julie Ann Grimm, editor & publisher, Santa Fe Reporter
Host
Gene Grant
New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. NMiF takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic health, education, and art issues, and explores them in-depth with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment."
New Mexico in Focus Senior Producer for Public Affairs is Lou DiVizio. "Our Land" Senior Producer is Laura Paskus. Co-producer of New Mexico in Focus is Kathy Wimmer. Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation and Viewers Like You.
Funding for the Your New Mexico Government Project comes from the Thornburg Foundation and New Mexico Local News Fund.
Funding for Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present & Future, is provided in part by the Neeper Natural History Programming Fund for KNME-TV.