New Mexico Stadium Plan Threatens Homeless
by Allie Martin
July 26, 2004
(AgapePress) - A new downtown sports arena could put 175 homeless men and women on the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The director of a Christian-based shelter in that city says although the construction will give a financial boost to the economy, it could spell the end of his ministry.
For the past five years a Christian-based homeless shelter known as Joy Junction has operated a parking lot in downtown Albuquerque. The lot is in the same area where plans call for a 50 million-dollar, 10 thousand-seat arena to be built. For the shelter, this means a loss of about $6,500 each month. Joy Junction director Jeremy Reynalds says the loss could force the Christian organization to close its doors. He points out that this is a problem not only for the shelter and those it serves, but also for the community.
"If we don't exist," Reynals explains, "then that fine, downtown arena is liable to have 175 people sleeping on their front doorstep, which they don't want. The folks downtown, as a rule, like us because we're in the South part of Albuquerque, and we take the homeless out of downtown."
The shelter director points out that Joy Junction receives no government funding and is not a United Way member. For that reason, he notes, the loss of the parking lot revenues will have a severe and possibly terminal impact on the shelter. "Overnight we would lose 12 % (gross) of our budget and four or five homeless people would be out of work also," he says.
Because Joy Junction does not own the property, the shelter will not make any money from the construction of the arena, but instead will lose its access and income from the use of the lot. Reynalds says some people have made nice overtures of assistance. However, he says "no definite commitments have been made," so the future of the shelter remains uncertain.
