As the weather turns colder in Santa Fe, Gaile Herling is worried that homeless families won't have a safe or warm place to stay.

Herling, who directs the Santa Fe school district's homeless student program, hopes Tuesday night's school board vote is the first step toward making sure they will.

The board voted to sell two portable buildings for $1 each to St. Elizabeth Shelter as housing for homeless people this winter.

The portables were used by the Academy for Technology and the Classics Charter School and located on city property near the Genoveva Chavez Community Center. The academy moved into a new building this fall, and the district had planned to dispose of the buildings.

Herling acknowledged the portables need improvements before they can be used. But, she said, St. Elizabeth has volunteers from local religious organizations that are willing to make improvements.

Herling said the portables combined could house 30 to 50 men and at least five families each night. Each portable is about 2,400 square feet.

The challenge now is getting the city to allow the shelter to use city land to house the portables, Herling said. "We're just hoping the city steps forward and does what it needs to do," she said.
Another obstacle is making sure neighbors are OK with the idea, Herling said. While the site of the portables is not in a residential area, St. Elizabeth and the city will have to notify neighbors and gather public input.

Herling also hopes the city will allow the use of the land for at least two winters because it would allow the shelter time to find a permanent site for the portables. And because it will take so much time and work to renovate the buildings, it doesn't make sense to use them at their current location for only one season, Herling said.

Contact John Sena at 986-3079 or jsena@sfnewmexican.com.