On March 8th, 2023, DRNM attorney Holly Mell received a report from a community member that an individual with died suddenly after falling from an upper bunk at the Westside Emergency Housing Center (the WEHC) on or around February 15th, 2023.
DRNM conducted an investigation into the death of a resident at the WEHC on February 16th, 2023. The findings of the investigation indicate that negligence from the WEHC was not substantially related to the individual’s cause of death. The investigation also revealed a number of findings that indicate the WEHC does have neglectful conditions that put residents in danger of serious injury or death.
The WEHC is owned and operated by the City of Albuquerque who contracts with a nonprofit agency, Heading Home, to run and provide services within the facility. Originally built as a jail, the WEHC is located 18 miles from downtown Albuquerque. It was originally intended to be a temporary shelter for wintertime but has since expanded to operate year-round 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Heading Home provides almost all of the staffing and services involved in the day-to-day operation of the WEHC, however, the City also contracts with other organizations to provide free shuttle transportation and security guards.
The WEHC averages 450-700 residents at night and 250 during the day. On the night of Resident’s death, there was one Staff and one Supervisor rotating between dorms A, B, C, D, and F. The average capacity of the dorms is 63 residents. Neither the Staff or the Supervisor was present in C dorm when the incident began, and were alerted to the situation by another resident.
During the course of its investigation, WEHC staff mentioned that there had been multiple deaths that occurred at the facility. In one of the written statements by WEHC staff they stated, “I’ve been working here for a little over a year and have been around a couple of deaths.”
The data showed that there were 13 calls listed as “Dead on Arrival.” This number only reflects the number of residents who died at the WEHC location before police arrived at the scene and does not include individuals who were transported to a hospital and subsequently died.
Alarmingly, there were 208 calls recorded as “Suicide”, although there is not sufficient information to know how many of these calls might have resulted in death or injury.
The report also found that The WEHC Facility is Not Accessible Under the ADA and Does Not Meet the Minimum Standards Established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Follow up actions need to be taken by the City of Albuquerque and Heading Home to put a stop to preventable deaths occurring within their facility and to ensure that the facility meets a higher standard of safety and care for their residents.
Follow up actions need to be taken by the City of Albuquerque and Heading Home to put a stop to preventable deaths occurring within their facility and to ensure that the facility meets a higher standard of safety and care for their residents.
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE: https://drnm.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/WEHC-Death-Investigation-February.-16.-2023.-signed.pdf
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