ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has released a new proposed budget for the next year, and it’s the largest in the city’s history.

The proposed $1.4 billion budget is around a 2.3% increase from last year’s budget. The mayor’s office is putting a big emphasis on public safety and homelessness.

The mayor wants to invest more than $13 million into the Health, Housing, and Homelessness Department. Most of that – $8 million – would fund housing and voucher programs.

The Gateway Center would also get a big chunk of the total. The mayor wants $1.5 million to go toward building the medical respite facility. This service would provide overnight patient care and social support. Another $730,000 would go toward medical sobering at the center – that’s where residents can get the help they need to overcome addiction.

The city says having those services at the Gateway Center will help divert people from filling up hospitals or jails. Both services are expected to be operational later this year.

“Medical sobering, we believe, we expect it to come online in the fall – late summer to early fall, and medical respite will come online in the winter,” said Kevin Sourisseau, CABQ’s chief financial officer. “There is funding included in there for operating those key pieces, very important key pieces of our program for homelessness.”

The proposed budget also includes money to fund city programs like the assisted outpatient treatment program, ABQ Street Connect, and service contracts for mental health, substance abuse, and more.

The Westside Emergency Housing Center would also get $1.5 million. The city noted it has been at capacity for the majority of the year.

In January, a report released by Disability Rights New Mexico revealed safety concerns after a person died in the shelter last February.

“We have already purchased new beds for the Westside Emergency Housing Center,” Sourisseau said. “Those will be installed. We’ll go pod by pod and install those as we do some renovations. The safety concerns have been addressed. And yes, we will again continue to add staffing.”

The budget will head to the Albuquerque City Council for two months of public input and deliberations. It has to be complete by May 30.

For more details on the proposed budget, click here.