When higher-paid workers move into a market without enough homes, prices climb at every level, and the families with the least room in their budgets get pushed out first. That hurts everyone.

Albuquerque is short on housing, and especially short for the families least able to cope. At the city level, Mayor Tim Keller estimates that Albuquerque lacks about 20,000 housing units to meet demand (Source NM). Statewide, the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority calculates a shortage of roughly 32,000 units, with most of that need in…