Commissioner Garcia Richard Delivers Affordable Housing for Las Cruces with Mesa Vista Development Agreement

SANTA FE, N.M. – New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard announced a new lease today that will add around 1,700 new, affordable housing units to the East Las Cruces area on state lands near Organ Mountain High School. The development, which is a partnership with Sierra Norte Land Holdings, LLC, is part of Commissioner Garcia Richard’s efforts to prioritize the use of state land to meet communities’ needs, such as affordable housing.

This is the first time the State Land Office required that residential developments on state lands include affordable or attainable housing. Overall, the development – named Mesa Vista – will comprise around 4,300 housing units. 15% percent of the units will be “affordable” (for families making less than 80% of the local Area Media Income [AMI]). 25% of the units will be “attainable” (for families with incomes between 80% and 120% of the AMI). The remainder will be market-rate housing units built for middle-income families.

Additionally, the units in the development will be all-electric to help advance the city’s sustainability goals. All-electric homes are more energy efficient, provide more comfortable heating and cooling, maintain better indoor air quality, and are safer than homes using gas. All-electric units also save the developer money, and the schedule for development can be reduced by two to three months.

“New Mexico needs more housing, period. This new development on state lands will bring thousands of new housing units to the Las Cruces area. We know that access to decent housing provides a path to upward mobility. Projects like this one are exactly what we need to begin chipping away at the state’s ongoing housing shortage. Creating more affordable housing for New Mexicans has always been one of my top priorities. This is a major win for the entire state,” said Commissioner Garcia Richard. “By going all-electric, the developer is showing foresight that will save families real money in the long run. It’s both fiscally and environmentally responsible. This project is proof that the private and public sectors can work together to deliver for New Mexicans. I’ll keep looking for more opportunities to build more affordable housing on state lands.”

“Working with the State Land Office, the City of Las Cruces, housing advocates, and local homebuilders, the developer of Mesa Vista will build a community that combines a diversity of housing with open spaces, parks, and opportunities for commercial development,” said John Moscato of Sierra Norte Land Holdings, LLC.  “Besides providing much-needed housing, Mesa Vista will be the catalyst for economic development and job growth for the region.”

The new lease comes on the heels of recent reports that the City of Las Cruces is facing a shortage of about 5,600 rental units. The Mesa Vista development will help reduce some of that burden.

Since taking office in 2019, Commissioner Garcia Richard has prioritized using state lands to help communities meet housing needs. During that time, the State Land Office has signed deals that will add approximately 4,800 housing units on state lands. Some projects have completed, while others are in various stages of construction. Around 1,900 of these units qualify as affordable.

In recent years, Commissioner Garcia Richard partnered with Sol Housing, a nonprofit focusing on affordable housing, on two projects near Central and Eubank – known as Luminaria and Farolito. Those projects provide around 180 affordable living units for Albuquerque’s senior citizens. The State Land Office has also inked deals that will create over 300 units of much-need housing in Rio Rancho.

Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has overseen the New Mexico State Land Office since 2019. In that time the agency has raised more than $12 billion for New Mexico public schools, hospitals, and universities. Over 13 million acres of state trust land are leased for a variety of uses, including ranching and farming, renewable energy, business development, mineral development, and outdoor recreation. The State Land Office has a dual mandate to use state trust land to financially support vital public institutions, while simultaneously working to protect the land for future generations.