By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
It’s been almost four years since the Gallup City Council declared a housing emergency.
In May 2022, councilors passed an ordinance announcing the emergency. Now, former Economic and Community Program Manager Tammy Parker was named the city’s Housing Manager.
The city originally hired Parker in 2023. In her new role, she will research national housing strategies. She plans to learn what works, identify what fails, and report back to the city councilors to see what Gallup can apply locally.
During the March 24 city council meeting, Parker compared Gallup’s current housing policies with those of Silver City, noting that Gallup can learn several lessons from its neighbor. Silver City maintains a similar population of nearly 10,000 people, and both municipalities face a “mismatch” between local wages and the cost of new single-family construction. To bridge this gap, Silver City overhauled its zoning in 2025 to allow for “missing middle” housing.
However, Parker pointed out that Gallup is already leading in certain areas.
While other towns across the state are just beginning to legalize small backyard homes, Gallup’s 2025 Land Development Standards already codify an 800-square-foot standard for accessory dwelling structures. While neighboring towns often limit these to 750 square feet, Parker argued that the extra 50 feet makes all the difference; it transforms a cramped studio into a comfortable, two-bedroom, ADA-accessible home suitable for seniors, small families, or unhoused individuals.
“We aren’t here to play catch-up,” Parker said. “We’re here to activate the superior tools we already have on the books.”
The city’s next challenge could involve simplifying the construction process for these units.
To encourage builders and homeowners, Parker suggested the city create pre-approved designs for 800-square-foot structures. This initiative would provide immediate housing without requiring the city to spend a single cent on new infrastructure.
“If you build one of these houses in your backyard, Planning and Zoning can just check off on it,” Parker explained. “They already have these plans, they’ve already done the engineering, they know what to expect, and they can say, ‘Yeah, this is great, this will work.’”
Parker also revisited a key point from her February presentation regarding infrastructure efficiency. Many municipalities focus on “infill”—areas where the city already maintains pipes, roads, and transit—to support higher density.
“Every time we run a new water line to the edge of the town, it costs taxpayers money to maintain,” Parker said. “Silver City focused on infill, which we talked about last month, building on vacant lots that they already have.”
Gallup is ahead of the curve here as well. The 2025 Land Standards require a utility service agreement upfront, which mandates that the city inspect existing pipes before construction begins. This practice ensures that new housing doesn’t overwhelm the current system.
After Parker explained that Gallup has the necessary foundation, she told the council it is time to “activate these rules.”
Mayor Marc DePauli also took time to remind the public that the city will pay for the building materials new developers need when they arrive in town.
However, not everyone felt the pace was fast enough. Once Parker finished, Councilor Sarah Piano, Dist. 3, questioned why the city was spending time on presentations rather than taking physical steps.
“What I want to see for the council and the community is more specific action,” she said. “I like that we’re changing and upgrading the manuel, I think that’s super helpful. [But] I want to see more of what the action steps are.”
In response to Piano’s concerns, Community Development Manager Keegan Mackenzie-Chavez explained that the presentations aim to ensure the council makes informed, deliberate decisions. She warned against rushing into projects without a unified strategy.
“The point of this is to give you guys some information,” she said. “I think what happens too often is [a council simply says] ‘That sounds great, let’s just do it.’ I don’t want to see that happen.”
Mackenzie-Chavez then shared her opinion that infill is the best option for the City of Gallup.
“I think it’s clear that infill is the way we should be going,” she said. “Pre-approved plans are a good idea, but that’s the purpose of this, to expose you [to different concepts] rather than say ‘Hey, we’re building 50 houses.’ We need to make sure you’re all in agreement with the direction we should go.”
With all of this in mind, Parker will be returning to the council with another housing presentation in the near future.
