A Las Cruces homeless shelter is on lockdown, while another is packed with new residents

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - After two months on lockdown, the executive director of the Gospel Rescue Mission said he's grateful no one inside the Las Cruces facility has contracted the virus.

"We did not even have an outbreak of flu here this season," said Henry Young. "So, it has been remarkable. I attribute that to sheltering in place."

Across the street, Mesilla Valley Community of Hope has not been turning away homeless people who need shelter.

"In light of the COVID pandemic, we have felt that it was necessary for us to increase how many people we are keeping at Camp Hope," said Nicole Martinez, the executive director of Community of Hope. "We wanted to have less people on the streets and have them more in one area, close to our services."

Unfortunately, she said one staff member has tested positive for the virus and is in quarantine for a couple more days. She said Camp Hope is housing 40 people with a capacity of 50, screening each new resident for the virus.

"What we do currently is tough, so to have a pandemic on top of that has been a new challenge for us," Martinez said.

Young told ABC-7 that he hopes to reopen slowly, admitting new residents after they have been tested. The Gospel Rescue Mission is currently sheltering 28, with a capacity to shelter 100.

He said before a new resident's test results come in, they will be required to quarantine inside the building.

"We'll do it slowly, but I do want to open up and allow things to get back to a more normal state," Young said.