City Council candidate Paul Bustamante didn't mince words during a forum earlier this month when asked how he would tackle Santa Fe's housing crisis.

"We need to get rid of fee-in-lieu," Bustamante said at the Sept. 3 event, referring to a provision in a city ordinance that allows developers of rental properties to pay a fee instead of building affordable units. "Every time that a developer has been given that option, they have used it."

A strong statement, but is it true?

Mostly, but not quite. According to data provided by the city, developers of all but two projects built since 2016, when the Santa Fe Homes Program ordinance was amended to allow for the fee, have chosen that option.

The two developments with affordable units are Zia Station and the Presidium Casa Siena Apartments. S

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