Overcoming NIMBYism: How Santa Fe Plans To Build Support For Pallet Shelters

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Overcoming NIMBYism: How Santa Fe Plans To Build Support For Pallet Shelters

Article Published October 8, 2025

This article originally appeared on Invisible People on October 8, 2025.

By Jocelyn Figueroa

In Santa Fe, more than 1,200 people need shelter tonight—but only 150 to 200 beds exist. City leaders want to build new pallet shelter “micro-communities” to close that gap, yet progress has stalled. The reason isn’t just funding or logistics. It’s resistance from residents—better known as NIMBYism (“not in my backyard”).

This local struggle reflects a national crisis. Homelessness increased by 18% in 2024, topping three-quarters of a million people. At the same time, shelter capacity hasn’t kept pace, leaving thousands with nowhere safe to go. And even when shelters are built, the lack of affordable housing keeps people stuck inside, unable to move forward and freeing up beds for others in need.

In an exclusive Q&A with policy fellows Hannah Somers and Ananthi AI Ramiah of the Aspen Policy Academy, we explore Santa Fe’s homelessness crisis and the growing challenge of NIMBYism.

Read the Full Article

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