ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For Sharon Griego, it’s not uncommon to pull up a chair and listen to some music with friends outside her apartment complex in Albuquerque’s International District. However, she said lately things have taken a turn.

“What happened to me on Wednesday was uncalled for, I live here! This is supposed to be my safe home,” Griego said.

Her safe space isn’t as safe after an altercation with an unhoused woman. Griego said there is a group of people who frequently get on the property, even inside the complex.

“Our hallways in our apartment complex are full of homeless people, our stairwells are full of people smoking fentanyl, you know,” she said.

This past Wednesday evening, Griego said she asked one of them to leave when the woman bit her. Police showed up but she thinks more needs to be done to address the problem.

“How many more people do I have to go through before it is going to get dealt with? How many more people are going to become homeless?” she said.

KOB 4 took this issue up with the Albuquerque Community Safety Department. They said the International District has the highest call volume in the city, and people who call them are doing the right thing.

“If anyone is an imminent risk to themselves or anyone else, absolutely call 911. However, yeah, to address the issue at hand, call ACS out, let us go offer resources to these individuals and let us help them,” said Walter Adams, the ACS manager for Mental Behavioral Health Field Operations.

ACS responds to calls 24/7. When someone calls they can try and get people to a shelter or more resources.

Adams said all people have to do is call 311 to handle the situation and avoid having to get police involved.

“When you come across individuals the best thing to do is the care and concern for that individual to get them the help they need. To try and address like I said underlying issues with mental health and why they are out and unsheltered,” he said.