New Mexico Bill Aims to Shine Light on Housing Permit Delays
A new proposal in the New Mexico legislature seeks to address the state’s ongoing housing crisis by mandating greater transparency in the local government permitting process. Currently, advocates say, policy decisions are often made “on vibes” rather than data, hindering efforts to improve housing affordability and availability. The bill, championed by the Santa Fe nonprofit Homewise Inc., would require municipalities and counties to publicly report key data points related to development and building permit approvals.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Cristina Parajón and Sen. Heather Berghmans, both Democrats from Albuquerque, comes as New Mexico grapples with a severe shortage of affordable housing. According to housing advocates, a lack of readily available data on permit processing times and approval rates obscures the true extent of the problem and makes it difficult to identify bottlenecks. “Without that, there’s no way to assess the challenges and the bottlenecks,” said Veronica Toledo, director of policy and advocacy for Homewise. “That’s why we’re trying to build some transparency around the process.”
The proposed “housing transparency bill” would require Class A counties and the state’s 10 largest municipalities – those with populations exceeding 30,000 – to submit quarterly reports to the Legislative Finance Committee and the New Mexico Economic Development Department. These reports would focus on residential development projects containing more than three units and include five key data points: the total number of applications received, the number of applications approved and denied, processing times for each application, the number of new building permits issued (broken down by multifamily and single-family projects), and building permit processing times. Each data point would also allow for optional narrative context.
The bill’s proponents argue that increased transparency will drive efficiency and predictability in the homebuilding process. Albuquerque, which has already begun tracking similar data, has reportedly seen significant improvements in approval times. In September 2025, the city reported a reduction in residential project plan review times from 112 days to just 15 days, with inspections now completed within a single business day. Las Cruces also publishes monthly building permit data, including information on certificates of occupancy and project valuations.
The need for such a system is particularly acute in cities like Santa Fe, where the Planning and Land Use Department has been slow to modernize. Until recently, the city still required paper submissions for permit applications, a practice that developers say added significant costs and delays. Miles Conway, CEO of the New Mexico Home Builders Association, estimates that relying on paper plans can add as much as $10,000 to a project’s cost if revisions are needed.
Santa Fe Mayor Michael Garcia expressed support for the bill, stating he doesn’t anticipate difficulties in meeting the reporting requirements. “I do see the value in that,” Garcia said, adding that he believes the data could help identify and eliminate barriers to affordable housing construction. However, he questioned why the bill’s requirements are limited to larger communities, arguing that the housing crisis is a statewide issue.
Other stakeholders have also voiced support. Cathy Collins, executive director of Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity, called the bill a “fairly simple solution” to a widespread problem. Mackenzie Bishop, founder of Albuquerque-based Abrazo Homes, praised the potential for establishing a database that allows for meaningful comparisons between communities. “That’s a bill a lot of people are super excited about,” Bishop said.
Daniel Werwath, an affordable housing advocate and former advisor to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, believes the bill’s potential lies in creating an “accountability framework.” “You can’t fix what you don’t see,” Werwath emphasized. “I think that’s a good step toward that. In general, there needs to be a little more accountability by local governments.”
While some worry the bill could lead to public shaming of slow-moving jurisdictions, Homewise officials emphasize that the goal is to celebrate successes and identify best practices. The organization hopes the bill will encourage collaboration and a more data-driven approach to addressing New Mexico’s housing challenges.
