It was April 10, 1975, when Gov. Jerry Apodaca signed House Bill 88 during the state’s 32nd legislature, enacting the Mortgage Finance Authority Act and creating the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. Housing New Mexico — which the organization rebranded to last year — commemorated its 50th anniversary at a press conference on April 10, 2025. Two 1975 representatives — Adele Cinelli Hundley and Raymond Sanchez, who was also speaker of the House — spoke at the press conference. Cinelli Hundley recruited Sanchez and the late Rep. Edward Lopez to get the proposed housing agency legislation passed 50 years ago.

Housing New Mexico Executive Director/CEO Isidoro Hernandez highlighted the quasi-governmental entity’s partnerships as an integral part of its 50-year history.

“The fact that we have served over 505,000 New Mexicans since our inception in 1975 is due in large part to the hundreds of partnerships we have with service providers, lenders, developers, realtors, housing authorities, local governments, Tribal partners and more,” said Hernandez. “The impact we have had would also not have been possible without the support of our legislators, governors and board members — as well as the hard work of our dedicated staff — over the years.”  

In its 50-year history, Housing New Mexico has impacted New Mexicans as follows:

• 27,371 homes built.
• 34,359 homes preserved through rehabilitation or weatherization.
• 72,668 families that became homeowners through first mortgage and down payment assistance programs.
• 122,425 people and families who received rental assistance.
• 10,557 families that received mortgage assistance through the Homeowner Assistance Fund.
• 238,546 people who received homelessness prevention or support services.
• 505,926 total people, families and homes impacted. 

The economic impact of Housing New Mexico’s investment in these affordable housing initiatives has been conservatively estimated to be more than $4.3 billion and has supported over 43,800 jobs.

After 49 years of operating as New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, the agency rebranded to Housing New Mexico in July of 2024 to better reflect its diversity of programs across the housing continuum, from homelessness to homeownership. While its legal name remains New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, Housing New Mexico more accurately encompasses its vision that all New Mexicans will have quality, affordable housing opportunities. In addition to providing mortgage and down payment assistance, Housing New Mexico has grown immensely over the years, providing funding for specialized and transitional housing, multifamily development, single-family development, rehabilitation and weatherization for homeowners, and more.

“We are strong believers that housing is the foundation for strong families and communities,” said Hernandez. 

To commemorate five decades of providing housing opportunities, Housing New Mexico launched a 50th anniversary web page on which “50 Stories from 50 Years” are being shared. A “50 Stories from 50 Years” social media campaign began March 26 and features two stories per week through September 17.

The 50th anniversary celebration will culminate at the 2025 New Mexico Housing Summit, which will be held September 17-19 in Albuquerque. The summit will offer three days of educational workshops, networking events and keynote speakers to approximately 500 professionals from all sectors of the state’s housing industry. This year’s theme is “Housing New Mexico for 50 Years.”

“The housing summit is the premier housing event in the state, and we look forward to collaborating and sharing ideas with everyone involved in the industry,” said Housing New Mexico Chief Housing Officer Donna Maestas-De Vries. “This is the time to come together to have important discussions regarding how to address today’s housing challenges and share ideas about innovative solutions and opportunities.”

Register or become a sponsor for the 2025 New Mexico Housing Summit.