#2. New Mexico

- Estimated number of people experiencing homelessness in 2023: 3,842

- Increase since 2022: 50.1%

Extreme heat in New Mexico can create dangerous conditions for unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in the warm months. Without access to reliable cooling sources or air-conditioned spaces, people living in tent encampments can face temperatures of over 140 degrees inside their tents, thanks to the greenhouse effect.

In 2023, a judge ruled that the city of Albuquerque cannot arrest or intimidate people experiencing homelessness, nor can law enforcement confiscate or destroy the property of unhoused people. The ruling came after the ACLU and other legal organizations sued the city on behalf of individuals who had had their belongings seized without notification.

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