Rob Vigil, program director of Eagle Village recovery housing at Española Pathway Shelter, Jake Stockwell, shelter operations director at Pathway Shelter, and Tyler Taylor, coordinator for the Interfaith Coalition on Homelessness, described coordinated shelter and recovery services for people experiencing homelessness in the Española Valley and warned the council that the shelter’s future is at risk after a recent planning commission denial.

Speakers said the denial of a special-use permit at the City Planning Commission has placed the shelter in urgent jeopardy and prompted a public campaign to preserve operations. Tyler Taylor said the schedule has moved the appeal to the Española City Council for an October 14 hearing and called the situation “a 5-alarm fire,” urging volunteers for petitions, street-corner outreach and attendance at the council hearing.

The details: Rob Vigil said Eagle Village provides transitional recovery housing in an old motel conversion across from the Santa Clara hotel and Allsup, charging what staff call a “program fee” of $500 a month. He said Eagle Village has 14 units on the property but currently houses nine residents while renovations (plumbing, septic and fire-suppression work) funded in part by a Casa Connections grant from the governor’s office are underway. Vigil said roughly 85–90% of referrals to Eagle Village come from Darren’s Place residential treatment, with other referrals from corrections and parole.

Jake Stockwell described Pathway Shelter’s model as an emergency, low-barrier shelter that has expanded operations from once-weekly service to twice-weekly and now supports a growing set of on-site partner services. He said the shelter operates a “MAT on demand” telehealth pilot with Porchlight Health so people can begin medication-assisted treatment (MAT) within about 30 minutes, and said partners include La Familia Healthcare for on-site primary care, Southwest Care for monthly HIV/Hepatitis C testing, and the Mountain Center for monthly harm-reduction services such as clean-use supplies, naloxone distribution and rapid drug checking.

Speakers stressed the role of wraparound services and the recent closure of large apartment stock in the Valley as drivers of increased homelessness. Vigil said many graduates of recovery programs remain in the Valley and go on to work in the community; he reported a roughly 71% success rate for clients leaving Eagle Village over the past five years.

No formal county action or vote was recorded at the council meeting on the shelter matter. Council members and staff were asked to help with outreach tasks, including letters to the editor, public petitions and phone banking to persuade council members and the public to support the shelter’s permit appeal.

What this means: Presenters characterized the shelter as a critical hub in a system of services — housing, MAT, primary care and harm-reduction — and said losing it would disrupt coordinated access to treatment and housing for dozens of people across the Valley. Partners asked local officials, volunteers and congregations to mobilize quickly before the October 14 hearing and to sustain funding or transportation that helps clients reach care.

Speakers

- Rob Vigil, program director, Eagle Village (nonprofit: Española Pathway Shelter)
- Jake Stockwell, shelter operations director (nonprofit: Española Pathway Shelter)
- Tyler Taylor, coordinator, Interfaith Coalition on Homelessness (nonprofit/interfaith coalition)

Clarifying details

- Eagle Village: 14 units total; 9 clients currently housed; program fee $500 per month (reported by Rob Vigil).
- Referral sources: about 85–90% from Darren’s Place residential treatment; other referrals from corrections/parole (reported by Rob Vigil).
- Eagle Village renovation: plumbing, septic and fire-suppression upgrades partly funded by a Casa Connections grant from the governor’s office (reported by Vigil).
- Pathway Shelter services: expanded shelter operations, MAT-on-demand telehealth pilot (Porchlight Health), on-site primary care (La Familia Healthcare), monthly HIV/Hep C testing (Southwest Care), monthly harm-reduction/needle exchange and drug checking (Mountain Center).
- Success metric: Eagle Village reported ~71% success rate over the past five years (reported by Vigil).

Community relevance

- Geographies: Española/Valley (Rio Arriba County) and service impacts for surrounding communities, including Los Alamos County residents who travel for care.
- Impact groups: people experiencing homelessness, people with opioid or substance use disorder, residents exiting residential treatment, congregations and volunteer networks.

Meeting context

- Engagement level: high; multiple outside partners presented and asked for immediate public outreach for a pending appeal. Several speakers and council members discussed next steps.
- Implementation risk: high — shelter continuity depends on the outcome of the land-use appeal and local political support.

Provenance

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