Our Village

Our Shelters

The Arroyo Chamiso Micro-Community is a village of ten Pallet shelter homes on the campus of Christ Lutheran Church in Santa Fe. Each unit is private, insulated, and equipped with heating and cooling. A real home, not a cot in a hallway. Residents can decorate their space, keep a pet, and enjoy the kind of privacy that makes it possible to truly rest and begin to heal.

Our Neighbors

Residents are selected through a community-based intake process and connected with The Life Link, our lead service partner, from day one. The campus operates with 24-hour security, so residents and neighbors alike know this is a safe place. The average stay is 10-12 months. The goal is always the same: permanent housing.

How It Works

58 community members served. 22 permanently housed. All current residents either have housing vouchers or are on the waitlist.

STEP 1

Intake and Selection

Community members are referred through Santa Fe's coordinated entry system and selected through a community-based committee process with The Life Link.

STEP 2

Move In

Each resident receives a private shelter unit, hygiene access, and an orientation to community guidelines.

STEP 3

Support and Programming

Weekly check-ins, case management, and access to on-site and off-site programming.

STEP 4

Housing Navigation

Staff and The Life Link work with residents to secure vouchers, locate units, and make the move to permanent housing.

The Pallet Shelter

Pallet shelters are purpose-built shelter units designed for dignity. Lockable, insulated, and easy to maintain, they are a proven alternative to congregate shelter that gives residents privacy and a sense of home. Open Arms maintains ten units on our campus, each furnished with rugs, curtains, storage, and a planter outside the door. Small details that signal this is a real home, not a temporary fix.

Community Life

Life at the Arroyo Chamiso Micro-Community is built around more than just shelter. Each unit comes furnished with rugs, curtains, storage, and a planter outside the door. Small details that signal this is a real home, not a temporary fix. Residents gather in our new community room, a shared space with computers, seating, and a kitchen area, for meals, workshops, and informal connection. Unhoused Art brings regular creative programming to our campus, giving residents a space to express themselves and connect.

We host monthly community dinners, and we'd love your help making them happen. Whether you want to bring a meal, sponsor a dinner, or simply show up, there's a place for you at the table.

We're planting a garden, and in partnership with Vital Spaces, we're painting a mural across the exterior of every shelter in the village, each panel painted by the residents themselves. The goal is simple: to make this place feel like it belongs to the people who live here.

Ten homes. One community.