ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Over the last couple of years the problems in the International District have gotten worse.

Food and necessities are really hard to come by for folks who don’t have the means to get up and go to neighboring communities.

Just this year, Walmart announced its closure there. The Walgreens at Central and San Mateo is next. But that’s just a drop in the bucket. 

Will new leadership in that part of town bring new opportunity? KOB 4 took that question to District 6’s city council hopefuls.

“District 6 on the eastern portion has been neglected historically for about 40 or 50 years. Depends on who you ask, but I want to say going on five decades we’ve been marginalized and forgotten,” said Kristin “Raven” Greene, a District 6 candidate. 

“I will take every other city councilor and I will take a ride, and we will spend about half a day east of San Mateo and come back and form a comprehensive plan with folks who live there,” said Jeff Hoehn, a District 6 candidate. 

“It’s not only a food desert, but it’s now a school supply desert, diaper and formula desert, there’s so many things. If we don’t have the basic needs for our community we can’t have a thriving community,” said Nichole Rogers, District 6 candidate. 

Nichole Rogers, Jeff Hoehn and Kristin Greene are all looking for your vote to replace outgoing city councilor Pat Davis.

4 Investigates discovered this year business after business leaving the International District, making it harder for folks who don’t have transportation to get goods.

KOB 4 asked the city council hopefuls about their plans. 

“I’ve heard from our farmers that they would like a co-op space where they can bring their goods, they’re still talking about a food waste from our farms. So instead of giving them a one-day a week farmers market why can’t we do a co-op right here, right now,” said Rogers. 

“The first thing we need to do is we need to get the city involved in going through the entirety of Route 66 end to end. Redoing our streets, redoing our infrastructure, redoing our lighting,” said Greene.  

“We need kind of a mobile market model where we can have a mobile market that drives into that part of town with food, and with basic needs items that alleviates the immediate suffering,” said Hoehn. 

The city has mentioned buying that now abandoned Walmart property. 

KOB 4 reached out to the city Monday, a spokesperson says there’s no update of when or if that will happen.