LAS CRUCES — In a unanimous 5‑0 vote on Tuesday, the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners authorized the publication of a proposed amendment to the county’s affordable housing ordinance, moving the measure into the public‑notice stage ahead of a Dec. 8 hearing.
Key changes to income eligibility
The amendment would expand the definition of moderate‑income households from the current 80% of area median income (AMI) to 150% of AMI. Low‑income households would be re‑defined as those earning less than 80% of AMI, up from the previous 60% threshold. By broadening these brackets, the county aims to make more families eligible for its housing assistance programs, including grants, loans and other subsidies.
Stronger long‑term affordability protections
Beyond income thresholds, the proposal tightens affordability requirements for projects built on county‑owned land or through community land trusts, shared‑equity arrangements, limited‑equity cooperatives and resale‑restricted ownership models. Developers would be required to record an affordability restriction, ground lease, shared‑equity covenant or a similar enforceable agreement designed to keep homes affordable for the longest period allowed by law.
Housing Manager Daniela Andrade explained that these tools are intended to prevent publicly supported homes from quickly re‑entering the unrestricted market. “Now we add permanent or longest lawful term controls for county land and community land trusts and shared‑equity models,” she told commissioners.
Alignment with the 2026 Affordable Housing Plan
The amendment updates Ordinance No. 280‑2015, which has guided the county’s affordable‑housing efforts for more than a decade, to bring it into line with the newly adopted 2026 Affordable Housing Plan and the framework used by Housing New Mexico. Andrade noted that the 2015 ordinance was largely prescriptive, whereas the new draft allows program‑specific income targets, subsidy limits, geographic scoring and performance metrics.
Additional provisions address critical repair, accessibility, energy efficiency, resilience and anti‑overcrowding measures, reflecting priorities identified in the county’s housing plan, such as preservation, rehabilitation, rental stability and investment in rural communities and colonias.
Procedural next steps
Following the vote, the county will publish the amendment’s title and a general summary in a newspaper of general circulation, then open a 15‑day public‑comment period. After reviewing comments, the Board will hold the Dec. 8 hearing at 9 a.m. in the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd., Las Cruces. Commissioners will decide whether to adopt the revised ordinance after the hearing.
While the amendment does not itself appropriate new funds, it gives the Board greater flexibility to tailor assistance programs to specific needs, project types, geographic areas and funding sources. The county retains the ability to set more restrictive income limits, subsidy amounts and eligibility criteria based on available resources and state or federal requirements.
Community members and stakeholders are encouraged to review the proposed changes, which appear in the Oct. 27 commission agenda packet beginning on page 1197, and to submit feedback during the comment period.
Original reporting: Organ Mountain News (Las Cruces / Doña Ana County) — read the source article.
