UplIft Chronicles Vol. 2 Issue 4 BTC Edition

BEYOND THE CHAIR EDITION: APRIL 2023

BLESSED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE ABQ BLESS FUND HELPS BUILD FINANCIAL SAFETY NETS

the pandemic, the fund started with a GoFundMe to help businesspeople struggling with bills. Soon a grant allowed the BLESS Fund to offer financial literacy programs: managing books, generating savings, assessing income streams, and weighing tax approaches.

people from the richest continent on the planet, there’s no reason for us to live lives of austerity, to give up on our dreams. If we’re there for each other, if we bring our resources together, we can do amazing things.”

In his free time, Jay Wilson likes to skydive. “I put the parachute on and I jump out of a perfectly good plane,” he laughs.

Since 2021, however, Wilson has been building a safety net through the Albuquerque BLESS Fund. BLESS stands for Black Economic Security & Solidarity and it’s part of the Chisholm Table cohort of organizations focused on capacity-building. At the height of

The BLESS Fund also gives grants to Black-owned businesses, with recent awardees including a Black skincare line, an apothecary, and an auto-repair shop.

Each April, to commemorate the historic 1968 Fair Housing Bill, the fund offers an online educational series with information about credit, buying a house, and housing protections. The aim is to be “equipping folks to make sure they can have their shot at the American Dream.”

This June, BLESS rolls out the Sky High Achievement Award, offering thirty $1000 scholarships–and indoor skydiving experiences. “We wanted to do something to give the kids a new opportunity,” says Wilson. For Financial Literacy Month, Wilson adds, “Finances are critical. As

YOU CAN ALWAYS BANK ON BURQUE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE OFFERS SAFE BANKING AND FINANCIAL TIPS

April is Financial Literacy Month and we met with Jordan Gutierrez of BankOn Burque, which is part of a nationwide initiative making it easy and affordable to get a bank account. Gutierrez works to get unbanked and underbanked Burqueños access to safe banking and helpful financial education resources. Gutierrez was born and raised in Albuquerque and says public service is his true vocation; helping families keeps a smile on his face. Here are some insights he shared with us:

■ Being unbanked or underbanked means it’s harder to be financially stable, establish credit, and increase your savings

■ Unbanked consumers are 6x more likely to use expensive checkcashing services

■ BankOn actively focuses on minority populations and lower income families most affected by language barriers, lack of information, or poor prior banking experiences

■ BankOn’s certified accounts don’t have overdraft fees, low balance fees, or inactivity fees

■ BankOn partners with the City of Albuquerque’s Policy Office, financial institutions, and community organizations like Prosperity Works and YDI

■ New Mexico is ranked 49/51 for unbanked households, which means over 90,000 homes Questions? Call Jordan Gutierrez at 505.768.3726 or email jordangutierrez@cabq.gov or put your camera on the QR code.

Jordan Gutierrez

APRIL IS ALL ABOUT WELLNESS STACKING CHIPS? GETTING FIT? UPLIFT CAN HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES

April is when springtime in New Mexico really blossoms, especially since we just had us a “false spring” in March and experienced a lot of snow, hail, and rain. As we slough off the winter weather, we can awaken to self-care, which means maintaining our health–whether physical, mental, or financial. April is:

■ Financial Literacy Month

■ National Minority Health Month

■ National Fair Housing Month

Our newspaper is your newspaper. The entire last Chronicles issue covered the housing crisis and possible legislation to help. Most housing bills stalled or were shot down. It’s the 55th anniversary of the landmark Fair Housing Act and we are not done agitating for fair housing laws.

Brandi Stone, director of UNM’s African American Student Services, states that it’s important for

her students to become financially-literate, “because as our students pursue higher education degrees, they have an opportunity to create a new narrative for their family, including the opportunity to build wealth.”

Aja Brooks in the US Attorney’s Office shared how she’s paying attention to National Minority Health Month, “because, unfortunately, racism is embedded within many systems, including our healthcare system. Our communities must be extra vigilant in order to protect ourselves both physically and mentally from the health disparities that we face on a daily basis.” The theme of this year’s NMHM is “Better Health Through Better Understanding.”

Whether you’re interested in stacking chips or getting physically fit, take a look at the articles in this issue to provide some guidance and resources and give us a holla.

DON’T BOGART THE WEED WILL MEDICAL CANNABIS BE UNAVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST?

April 1 was the anniversary of recreational cannabis legalization in New Mexico. February’s recreational cannabis sales in New Mexico totaled over $268 million. Across the state, many are celebrating 420, code for marijuana.

This new availability of cannabis raises concern about the negative impact on New Mexico’s medical marijuana program, which launched in 2007. According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal, some industry leaders are predicting the demise of the medical cannabis program. They point to the decline of medical cannabis enrollment and sales over the past year. Others say this is a correction, not a death knell.

Total medical cannabis sales are roughly $171 million, just under 40% of total cannabis sales in New Mexico. Comparing that to February sales of $14 million, or 34% of total February cannabis sales, it appears the medical cannabis market share is shrinking.

If you have a medical marijuana card, don’t let it go just because recreational cannabis is legal. There are many benefits to having a card, such

as not paying NM Gross Receipts Tax, different age restrictions, guaranteed supply, and additional legal protections.

The New Mexico State Legislature just passed Senate Bill 242, which would streamline the enrollment process, saving patients and medical providers time and money. Sponsored by Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino, the bill’s expected to be signed into law and go in effect June 16.

BETTER HEALTH THROUGH BETTER UNDERSTANDING

APRIL IS NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH

Booker Taliaferro Washington, a renowned civil rights leader and educator, inaugurated National Health Improvement Week in 1915 shortly before his death at age 59. The eight-day week awareness event was later celebrated annually around April 5th (Washington’s birthday) and renamed National Negro Health Week. Washington quoted, “Without health, and until we reduce the high death rate, it will be impossible for us to have permanent success in business, in property getting, in acquiring education, or to show evidence of progress.” The United States Health and Human Services Department adopted Washington’s principles and renamed the observance National Minority Health Week in 1989 and in 2002 expanded it to a month.

WHAT THE DOCTORS ARE SAYING?

Progress, Mr. Washington? 107 years later have we reduced disparities and health outcomes for minority populations? We checked in with Tracie Collins, MD, Dean and Professor, University of New Mexico School of Population Health and Duane Ross, MD, New Mexico Black Leadership Council Physical Health Committee Chair and retired Medical Director, True Health New Mexico to ask.

Tracie Collins, MD

“Although I think the concept is amazing, I’m not aware that National Minority Health Month has had a major impact in New Mexico. [In defining the issue,] when you talk about diabetes, hypertension, strokes, and heart attacks, you have to look at what is driving poor health outcomes—you have to take a multipronged approach. When you start looking at neighborhoods and grocery stores, where are the opportunities for people in communities to go take a walk? Do they have affordable nutrient-dense foods or adequate employment to buy a home? It’s not just about choices concerning physical activity and what you eat, it’s about having the opportunity to live a comfortable life so you can fully engage in the health journey. As physicians, researchers, and educators, we have to be in the trenches. In order to make an impact on inequities and disparities and health outcomes, minority health has to be a daily goal.”

2023 THEME AND BEYOND

“Better Health Through Better Understanding” is the 2023 National Minority Health Month theme. We hope educators, healthcare providers, philanthropists, and the entire community will remember Mr. Washington’s prophetic words and will understand and adopt the words of our experts. For more information scan the QR code.

Duane Ross,

“I think the historical context to Booker T. Washington is great—that resonates with a lot of people. I think we can use this month to focus on consolidating a lot of things—like prostate cancer screenings for Black men. Years ago, the New Mexico Department of Health originated the idea of consolidating national children’s immunization schedules and increased compliance. For instance, diabetes screenings could all be done in one day. If we have awareness events and screenings this month, it may not be 100% participation, but it will definitely help improve health outcomes. In terms of addressing health inequities and disparities, incorporating consistent processes in our healthcare systems has proven effective in reducing bias. But we also have to be looking at things like livable wages, better education, and transportation improvements—we have to take a multipronged approach. We can’t be looking at improving health by just approaching health.”

“Without health, and until we reduce the high death rate, it will be impossible for us to have permanent success in business, in property getting, in acquiring education, or to show evidence of progress.”

— Booker T. Washington

MD

LIVING JUST ENOUGH FOR THE CITY

HOUSING INEQUITIES ABOUND FOR NATIVE & BLACK FAMILIES IN ALBUQUERQUE

Last October, the City of Albuquerque released an 86-page report on “Housing and Entrepreneurship” which addressed the housing gap for Native and Black Burqueños. An “affordable housing gap” means the demand for affordable housing exceeds the availability. The report was part of Living Cities’ Closing the Gap initiative where city leaders commit to building an anti-racist society through transformative government policies. Civic representatives from six participating cities—Albuquerque, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Austin, Memphis, and Rochester—underwent “deep racial equity competency training.”

The report’s assessments intended to “increase awareness of the role [Albuquerque] has historically played in determining the position of Black and Native communities.” It also identified broad actions the City can take to remedy unconscionable existing housing circumstances.

But while government websites keep touting the anniversary of President Johnson’s crucial 1968 Fair Housing Act, clearly something got lost in the mix these last 55 years. The report, for example, offered “breaking down barriers to creating housing, and strengthening relationships between housing agencies, developers, and communities of color.” But clearly, the Powers That Be instead have repressed BIPOC buyers’ opportunities and suppressed the legislation that would’ve advocated for BIPOC home buyers and renters (see page 7’s “Roundhouse Roundup Revisited”).

If the City Council can’t pass a simple bill reducing prohibitive rental application fees and the Roundhouse is packed with landlords posing as legislators, then no report—however detailed with recommendations—will move the needle in favor of Native and Black families trying to rent or own homes that reflect their culture.

DIGITAL INCLUSION: A THREE-LEGGED STOOL

I remember being ecstatic to learn you could get a phone that could travel with you. My first one was the size of a large brick. I felt elite because not very many people owned these exclusive, expensive mobile bricks. Today, it’s really no big deal to have a cell phone—a smartphone—a computer in your hand. 85% of Americans have some access to a smartphone that will connect at least via Wi-Fi to the internet. Smartphone technology is amazing, but it’s not a complete solution for getting people connected in 2023.

Cathryn McGill, Founder/Director

If you are closing the huge gaps that exist in the digital world, you have access to the internet at home, you have an appropriate device (more than just a smartphone), and you know your way around a computer (aka digital inclusion). Digital inclusion is a three-legged stool and you have to have each one of the legs to be fully connected. If your stool is a bit wobbly, we’re here to help.

In March 2023, the Federal Communications Commission awarded $60 million for the Affordable Connectivity Program outreach and education initiative. NMBLC is proud to be a recipient of one of the grants. With this award, we will work to get income eligible New Mexicans connected with appropriate devices at home. Beyond the access and the device, we will also get all of us up to speed on the computer skills you’ll need to live well in this brave, new world. Stay tuned for more information…

When Landlords Make the Laws

Housing Equity Needs Assessment Report

ALL EYES ON HIM

JOEL BROWN RUNS HIS BARBER SHOP WITH A PASSION FOR THE BUSINESS

First thing’s first: Joel Brown did not name his barber shop after 2Pac’s fourth album. In his home of Baytown, Texas, there was always a shop named All Eyes on Me. So, Joel thought it’d be catchy and he could bring a little part of where he’s from to New Mexico.

Way back when, probably when 2Pac was still a backup dancer for Digital Underground, Joel wasn’t into school much. So, he came to visit his cousin, Isaac Hart, here in Burque. Isaac went out late the night before, spent all his money, and asked Joel to sport him for breakfast because he was short. Joel didn’t sweat his cousin and Isaac reassured him he’d work at his barber shop that afternoon and they’d be able to go out that evening. Sure enough, hours later, Isaac came back with a wad of cash from his cuts that day that blew Joel’s wig. He wondered if Isaac was selling and when his cousin said no, Joel knew what he wanted to do for money from then on.

Second thing’s second: When Joel went to barber school, he immediately knew he wanted to be the boss of his own shop. “Once I learned the business of it, that was the thing that really drove me.” Especially when we’re talking about financial literacy, Joel had that savviness from the jump. He learned how to cut but always saw the entrepreneurial side as more of his “avenue.” In fact, he had to learn the business real quick when he started because the owner of the shop he’d just gotten a chair at went to jail for two years. Joel studied every cut, tended the store, and recruited a team to help.

Third thing’s last: Joel is a Renaissance man and proudly notes, “I’m a powerlifter,” and he didn’t even start until his early 40s. “I used to be real overweight and I had a great trainer, a client named Abu.” Abu has since passed of cancer but Joel kept on his regimen and has won a gang of medals the last decade or so.

Joel has been managing his financial and physical health smartly for years now. It’s that kind of passion that he’s concerned the younger generation doesn’t foster. “A lot of new kids ask me about barbering. I always say it needs to be a passion. It shouldn’t be a easy alternative to have a job where you don’t have rules.” Joel’s shop has rules. Joel says some think they can get rich quick, but “If you think it’s easy, you’re not gonna make it. Ask a barber how long it took him to make money, get that reputation, and get people coming to you.” As seen from Joel’s story above, it takes time, passion, and personal investment.

ALL EYES ON ME

600 Central Ave. SW, Suite 107 505.261.9019

When Frank Willis started delivering chicken and waffles out his sister’s kitchen in 2012, he had only $150 in his pocket. Just over a decade later, Frank’s Famous Chicken & Waffles has become an Albuquerque favorite with multigenerational appeal.

Willis was inspired by his love for the Los Angeles soul food chain, Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles. “There was a void of the concept out here at the time,” he says. After a trip to the West Coast, he told his friends, “When we get back to Albuquerque, I’m going to open a chicken and waffles restaurant.” And he did.

Frank’s moved to its current location barely three months before the

FAMOUS BY NATURE

A BELOVED SOUL FOOD SPOT ATTRACTS “A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYBODY”

Covid-19 pandemic hit. “That was rough, because we were just gaining momentum… and it just all had to stop.” Frank’s survived on to-go orders only, reopening the dining room after a year.

Willis also brings a second lifelong love to Burqueños through his restaurant. “My father was in a music group called Black Ice in the ’70s and ’80s. My love of music is probably just as

strong as my love for food.” Frank’s hosts the band Nothing But Grooves to crowds Thursday night, with karaoke on Tuesdays. “We’re trying to get a little more nightlife going.”

Willis says Frank’s attracts “a little bit of everybody” with its food and welcoming atmosphere. “We have grandmothers who come with their families, and when the grandmother or grandfather passes away, the family

still comes… I just enjoy that we’re making people happy.”

FREE TO US, BUT NEVER FREE COVID-19’S VACCINE WILL EVENTUALLY BE COMMERCIALIZED

Since the COVID-19 vaccine hit the streets, it’s been free to us. That’s because the vaccine was funded by the federal government. But that won’t last forever. The Biden Administration announced that the public health emergency is ending in May, and the COVID-19 vaccine will move to the private marketplace. Our contact at the New Mexico Department of Health says that the commercialization of the COVID-19 vaccine could happen in the fall.

Commercialization means that the COVID-19 vaccine will be handled by insurance companies, just like the flu shot. We’ll have to either get our COVID-19 shot covered through our health insurance plan, or pay for it ourselves. The out-of-pocket cost could be over a hundred dollars per dose. For those without prescription coverage, that pretty much translates to “I won’t be getting the vaccine.”

According to an article in Politico , the government is working on a plan to

stockpile vaccines for the most vulnerable; that is, people without insurance. A separate federal program would provide free vaccinations for uninsured kids. Adults, however, will feel the effects of the COVID vaccine commercialization. When or how this will happen is still unknown. No specifics have been announced, and Congress is done funding the pandemic response.

COVID-19 isn’t going away. Health experts expect it to become endemic. That means it’s still around, but easier to control and treat, and kept in check with yearly booster shots. Keeping COVID-19 vaccines affordable to everyone, though, is critical to our public health.

NMBLC vaccine info Politico article

Black Ice documentary

ROUNDHOUSE ROUNDUP REVISITED HOW NEW MEXICO HOUSING LEGISLATION FARED

The New Mexico legislative session closed March 18. Many bills addressing housing are stuck in committees. In Albuquerque, a bill to protect renters from a lack of information and excessive fees failed in the City Council. Here’s the Status of housing bills as of print time.

BILLS ADDRESSING THE UNHOUSED

HB 389 NO ID CARD FEE FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS

Sponsor: Rep. Raymundo Lara, D-Doña Ana

Gist: Remove fee for ID cards for those 75 years of age or unhoused.

Status: Passed

SB 139 SERVICES FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE

Sponsors: Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe

Gist: Appropriate $20,000,000 to provide unhoused persons with substance abuse treatment, behavioral health services, and housing.

Status: Passed

BILLS ADDRESSING RENT

HB 6 HOUSING AND RENT CHANGES

Sponsors: Rep. Angelica Rubio, D-Doña Ana; Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe; Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Bernalillo

Status: House Calendar AND

SB 411 HOUSING AND RENT CHANGES

Sponsor: Sen. Leo Jaramillo, D-Los Alamos

Gist: Increase time for renters to make up rent; prohibit owners from terminating a lease during a declared emergency.

Status: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 99 RENT CONTROL PROHIBITIONS

Sponsors: Sen. Linda M. Lopez, D-Bernalillo; Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Bernalillo; Rep. Angelica Rubio, D-Doña Ana

Gist: Repeal the prohibition of rent control.

Status: Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee

SB 375 RENT INCREASES & AIR-CONDITIONING

Sponsor: Sen. Brenda G. McKenna, D-Bernalillo & Sandoval

Gist: Limit the amount of rent increase in twelve months; require landlords to maintain A/C; prohibit landlords from forcing out residents by interfering with the cooling system.

Status: Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee

BILLS ADDRESSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

SB 140 NM HOUSING TRUST FUND

Sponsors: Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe; Rep. Cynthia Borrego, D-Bernalillo

Gist: Appropriate $48,000,000 to the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund.

Status: Senate Finance Committee

HB 414 CREATE HOUSING DEPARTMENT

Sponsors: Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Bernalillo; Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe; Rep. Pamelya Herndon, D-Bernalillo; Rep. Angelica Rubio, D-Doña Ana; Rep. Meredith A. Dixon, D-Bernalillo

Gist: Create a Housing Department.

Status: House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee

HB 425 ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS

Sponsors: Rep. Cynthia Borrego, D-Bernalillo; Rep. Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe

Gist: Allow additional units within a single-family zoning district.

Status: House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee

SB 333 MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSING AND ZONING

Sponsors: Sen. Antonio Maestas, D-Bernalillo

Gist: Provide additional accommodations for multigenerational housing.

Status: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 495 AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACT OVERSIGHT

Sponsor: Sen. Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales, D-Los Alamos Gist: Appropriate $250,000 for oversight duties related to the Affordable Housing Act.

Status: Senate Finance Committee

BILLS ADDRESSING ALBUQUERQUE HOUSING

O-22-59 RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PERMIT ORDINANCE

Sponsor: Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn

Gist: Create a permitting system for residential properties and gather rental market data.

Status: In Committee

O-22-60 RESIDENTIAL TENANT PROTECTION ORDINANCE

Sponsor: Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn

Gist: Prevent unfair and deceptive rental practices and protect tenants and applicants from excessive and unreasonable fees.

Status: Failed, 4-5, For: Isaac Benton, Pat Davis, Tammy Fiebelkorn, Klarissa J. Peña. Against: Brook Bassan, Renee Grout, Trudy Jones, Dan Lewis.

Santa Fe Reporter article: “When Landlords Make the Laws”