Santa fe suites

santa fe suites

In a creative response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Santa Fe partnered with Community Solutions (a national organization working to end homelessness and the parent organization to the Built for Zero movement) to purchase and convert an existing hotel into safe, stable, and supportive housing for more than 120 people. 

Leveraging federal CARES Act funding, the City of Santa Fe pioneered an innovative way to repurpose a local hotel to meet the needs of the community, while helping address an affordable housing shortage and accelerating the City’s efforts to end homelessness.

The expenditure requirements of the CARES Act funds meant the City had to mobilize quickly, working in partnership with Community Solutions, impact investors and other housing financing sources to ensure a timely closing on the purchase of the property, a process that in normal times would have taken several months longer. Because the property was already outfitted as an extended stay hotel, it required very little renovation prior to moving in new tenants. This project is serving as a new model for hotel conversions into affordable housing projects, both within Santa Fe and in other communities across the country.

how the project has impacted the community

Since its inception in December 2019, the Santa Fe Suites has become home to more than 120 individuals in need of permanent housing:

  • Two thirds of the units are currently leased to individuals in Santa Fe who were either formerly homeless or precariously housed through use of vouchers and other forms of rental assistance.
  • The remaining units are below market rate, but not subsidized, and support workforce renters with a range of incomes, including those households receiving section 8 subsidy, seniors on fixed incomes, and individuals working on establishing positive rental histories.
  • The property uses “tenant-based management” practices, whereby the social services needs of the tenants are prioritized.
  • Preference is given to veterans in need of permanent housing.

In addition, the property continues providing rooms for low-income cancer patients, who must stay locally while receiving treatment from Santa Fe’s Christus St. Vincent Cancer Center adjacent to the property. 

In a creative response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Santa Fe partnered with Community Solutions (a national organization working to end homelessness and the parent organization to the Built for Zero movement) to purchase and convert an existing hotel into safe, stable, and supportive housing for more than 120 people. 

Leveraging federal CARES Act funding, the City of Santa Fe pioneered an innovative way to repurpose a local hotel to meet the needs of the community, while helping address an affordable housing shortage and accelerating the City’s efforts to end homelessness.

The expenditure requirements of the CARES Act funds meant the City had to mobilize quickly, working in partnership with Community Solutions, impact investors and other housing financing sources to ensure a timely closing on the purchase of the property, a process that in normal times would have taken several months longer. Because the property was already outfitted as an extended stay hotel, it required very little renovation prior to moving in new tenants. This project is serving as a new model for hotel conversions into affordable housing projects, both within Santa Fe and in other communities across the country.

How the project has impacted the community

Since its inception in December 2019, the Santa Fe Suites has become home to more than 120 individuals in need of permanent housing:

  • Two thirds of the units are currently leased to individuals in Santa Fe who were either formerly homeless or precariously housed through use of vouchers and other forms of rental assistance.
  • The remaining units are below market rate, but not subsidized, and support workforce renters with a range of incomes, including those households receiving section 8 subsidy, seniors on fixed incomes, and individuals working on establishing positive rental histories.
  • The property uses “tenant-based management” practices, whereby the social services needs of the tenants are prioritized.
  • Preference is given to veterans in need of permanent housing.

In addition, the property continues providing rooms for low-income cancer patients, who must stay locally while receiving treatment from Santa Fe’s Christus St. Vincent Cancer Center adjacent to the property. 

our approach

This project embodies Housing First principles by first providing a safe place for individuals to live and then providing access to critical community and supportive services. St. Elizabeth’s Shelter and Supportive Housing works closely with High Desert Housing Property Management Company to keep tenants securely housed by providing necessary supports on-site.

St. Elizabeth’s Shelter and Supportive Services is a Santa Fe based organization with over 35 years of experience dedicated to assisting homeless individuals and families by providing emergency shelter, food, case management, and counseling, as well as supportive housing and referrals to partnering human service agencies. St. Elizabeth’s staff provide on-site supportive services to property residents in need, including case management, crisis intervention, support accessing employment and healthcare (physical and behavioral), homeless outreach, individual and group therapy, housing navigation, and networking with other community providers.

High Desert Housing is an Albuquerque based, nonprofit property owner with 25 years of experience housing individuals with special needs.  With closely aligned missions and a chance to positively impact the homeless population of Santa Fe, when approached by Community Solutions, High Desert Housing decided to expand into the role of property management to support the innovative, Santa Fe Suites initiative.

In addition to the Santa Fe Suites, High Desert Housing has ten properties that provide housing in group home and independent living settings for individuals with developmental or physical disabilities, as well as for individuals with chronic mental illness.

High Desert Housing believes everybody deserves a place to call home and takes pride in offering the highest quality affordable housing possible to individuals with special needs.

more information about santa fe suites

For more information about Santa Fe Suites, please call 505-982-1154 or visit the following websites

our approach

This project embodies Housing First principles by first providing a safe place for individuals to live and then providing access to critical community and supportive services. St. Elizabeth’s Shelter and Supportive Housing works closely with High Desert Housing Property Management Company to keep tenants securely housed by providing necessary supports on-site.

St. Elizabeth’s Shelter and Supportive Services is a Santa Fe based organization with over 35 years of experience dedicated to assisting homeless individuals and families by providing emergency shelter, food, case management, and counseling, as well as supportive housing and referrals to partnering human service agencies. St. Elizabeth’s staff provide on-site supportive services to property residents in need, including case management, crisis intervention, support accessing employment and healthcare (physical and behavioral), homeless outreach, individual and group therapy, housing navigation, and networking with other community providers.

High Desert Housing is an Albuquerque based, nonprofit property owner with 25 years of experience housing individuals with special needs.  With closely aligned missions and a chance to positively impact the homeless population of Santa Fe, when approached by Community Solutions, High Desert Housing decided to expand into the role of property management to support the innovative, Santa Fe Suites initiative.

In addition to the Santa Fe Suites, High Desert Housing has ten properties that provide housing in group home and independent living settings for individuals with developmental or physical disabilities, as well as for individuals with chronic mental illness.

High Desert Housing believes everybody deserves a place to call home and takes pride in offering the highest quality affordable housing possible to individuals with special needs.

more information about santa fe suites

For more information about Santa Fe Suites, please call 505-982-1154 or visit the following websites