SANTA FE, NM — With veteran support in focus, some lawmakers are advocating for increased funding to expand transitional housing for homeless veterans and to legalize medical psilocybin for those struggling with mental health challenges and addiction. 

Housing Solutions

 The Veteran Integration Center’s CEO Brock Wolff, said on KRQE  that they support House Bill 2, the General Appropriation Act of 2025, which has passed in the House and is scheduled for the Senate Finance Committee. 

Wolff said they “are lobbying” for funding through HB2 for the VIC’s new transitional housing facility. which serves homeless veterans and their families.

The bill would provide protections if federal grant funding is reduced, he said. 

 “We really want to make this building as impactful as possible. We say we got this great ship — let’s fill it with services that we can offer,” Wolff said.

Those services include re-housing resources, homelessness prevention, mental health counseling, clothing and food donation programs, nutritional education, and even a gym, pickleball court, basketball court and running trail for stress relief.

Another bill addressing veteran homelessness, Veteran Transitional Housing, would appropriate $500,000 to the Veterans’ Services Department to contract for services to support transitional housing for veterans and their families. 

The measure, Senate Bill 273, unanimously passed the Indian, Rural, and Cultural Affairs Committee and is headed to the Senate Finance Committee.

SB273 is sponsored by Senate Minority Leader William Sharer (R-Farmington), along with Sens. Jay Block (R-Rio Rancho), Ant Thornton (R- District 19), Liz Stefanics (D-Cerrillos) and Rep. Debra Sariñana (D-Albuquerque). Sharer served in the Army, Block in the Air Force, Sariñana in the Air Force Reserves and Thornton spent seven years as a Naval Reservist.

According to SB273’s  fiscal impact report, current transitional housing options for veterans in rural and remote areas are lacking, noting just a tiny home village in Socorro and off-grid housing in Taos and Carson.

A 2024 HUD point-in-time count found that approximately 6.7% (298) of the homeless population (4,450) were veterans. However, the total number of New Mexican veterans experiencing housing instability or chronic homelessness is likely higher.

A 2022 study by MFA/Housing New Mexico found only 1% of public allocations went toward transitional housing. The report estimated an additional 6,500-8,400 units are needed for at risk populations in need of transitional services such as case management, employment support, and suicide prevention.

Sen. Thornton during a  phone interview discussed how the half million dollars could make a difference for New Mexico vets. 

“The idea is we need to try to figure out a way to help them transition to at least temporary housing and then, while we have them there, give them some supportive services that allow them to hopefully move into a permanent housing situation,” he said. “If we’re talking about, you know, 300 or so homeless veterans in New Mexico, if we could get them off the street, that would make a huge difference in their lives.” 

When asked whether he thinks the Veterans’ Service Department should prioritize metro areas, Thornton said cities such as Albuquerque and Las Cruces already have more available apartment buildings, so not necessarily. 

 “I think the real issue is those veterans that may be out in the rural areas; that’s where the difficulty is: finding a place where you can transition them where they already live,” he said.

Therapeutic  Solutions

Lawmakers are also working on a bipartisan measure, Senate Bill 219, to legalize medical psilocybin. The Tax, Business and Transportation Committee unanimously passed it, with amendments, and it is headed to the Judiciary Committee. 

SB219 could improve the well-being of residents and veterans by treating mental health conditions such as major depressive disorder, PTSD, end-of-life care and substance abuse disorder. 

The bill’s original sponsor, Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces) said, “What I’m trying to do, along with other bipartisan leaders, is to get Republicans and Democrats signed onto this bill.” 

Another sponsor Democrat Sen. Martin Hickey added, “The impact of this drug on PTSD through some trials in the VA is phenomenal.” 

The Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research is leading the way in exploring psilocybin treatments. 

Special Operations combat veteran and medical doctor David Glass emphasized the bill’s importance, noting that 2.7 million service members deployed in the last 20 years,with over 500,000 returning with PTSD and depression. 

“Veterans are turning to psilocybin retreats in Mexico through nonprofits because they can’t get what they need here,” said Glass. 

He advocates for strict medical oversight, in-person clinical treatment, and veteran representation on the advisory board. 

Oregon and Colorado have made strides in psilocybin use, with Oregon decriminalizing and legalizing it for therapeutic use, and Colorado decriminalizing natural psychedelics for recreational and medical use.

Tax Reform Measures

Several bills this session are also focusing on expanding veterans’ property tax exemptions— a constitutional amendment that voters approved in November 2024. 

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Micaela DePauli