Grading has begun at Cornerstone, a planned 31-unit supportive-housing building off Silver City’s 32nd Street Bypass. The project’s next test is turning a decade of development into homes: construction is expected to take about 13 months, and applications are anticipated to open in December 2027, according to the Silver City Daily Press.
The building is planned for 30 one-bedroom apartments and a two-bedroom unit for an on-site manager. The town leases the state-owned site from the State Land Office and subleases it to High Desert Housing, the Albuquerque nonprofit developing and owning the project, the Daily Press reported. The project is planned near the New Mexico Health Care Authority office, the Ben Altamirano Sports Complex and a Corre Caminos bus stop.
Funding reports leave the full picture unclear
Published accounts describe different parts of Cornerstone’s financing, but do not provide a reconciled total. The Daily Press reported that funding includes 2021 American Rescue Plan Act funds and $2.7 million from the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund. Silver City Radio separately reported a $3 million investment by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions’ Office of Housing after an unexpected federal grant termination threatened completion. The accounts do not establish whether those figures overlap or how they fit together.
The Housing Trust Fund’s broader purpose is to support affordable-housing acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, preservation and financing for low- and moderate-income residents, according to a New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority legislative presentation. That general description does not confirm the terms of Cornerstone’s award.
Statewide figures are context, not a local count
Housing New Mexico’s 2025 assessment reports that the state’s 2024 point-in-time count found 4,631 people experiencing homelessness, 20.5% more than in 2023. That statewide figure does not establish the scale or trend in Silver City. The New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness describes its 2025 count as a one-night snapshot, another reason not to treat point-in-time figures as a complete measure of housing need. Housing New Mexico’s assessment does not provide a Silver City trend in the cited statewide figure.
What supportive housing means—and what remains project-specific
High Desert Housing describes Cornerstone as permanent supportive housing, rather than temporary shelter. The Daily Press reported that residents will sign leases and follow building rules, with a service provider available during the week and help planned with needs such as transportation to medical appointments and accessing benefits or treatment. The New Mexico Health Care Authority’s general supportive-housing guidance says access to housing is not based on accepting supportive services; it does not establish Cornerstone’s specific admission or service policies.
Accounts also differ on the public groundbreaking event. The Daily Press reported that a ceremony and press conference scheduled for Thursday morning were canceled shortly before they were due to begin; Silver City Radio reported that a ceremony was held earlier that day. The available accounts do not resolve whether they describe separate events. The construction work itself is underway.
