Housing
Diversity intensifies preexisting segregation; Las Vegas stands out
A University of Minnesota researcher this week compiled some statistics on the increasing segregation of U.S. cities between 2000 and 2016, and Las Vegas really stands out. Specifically, in 2000, 37.5 percent of black Las Vegas metro area residents lived in segregated areas. In 2016, it was 71.2 percent, according to a chart compiled by […]
First a gate – now an ordinance? City shields business from homeless Las Vegans
The City of Las Vegas is not only building a “no pedestrian access” gate, it is also proposing a separate punitive ordinance to keep homeless Nevadans away from a business. Earlier this month the city voted to erect the gate on Foremaster Lane on the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard in an attempt to […]
High heat suspected in deaths of three homeless this week
Three homeless people were found dead this week near the downtown Las Vegas I-15 corridor. Though the exact cause of death is still unknown, the City of Las Vegas says “high heat recently is suspected as a contributing factor.” “It is heartbreaking that these deaths are occurring,” said Las Vegas City Councilman Cedric Crear in […]
Housing a “hot topic” everywhere – except the Nevada campaign trail
Perhaps the most tangible affordable housing proposal in Nevada right now involves transferable tax credits for housing developers. The developers sell the credits to purchasers who might pay 80 or 90 cents on the dollar. The buyers can then pay the state taxes with credits, instead of money. The credits proposal surfaced during a Nevada […]
Transgender homeless struggle to find shelter, resources
When Bobby Evans became homeless almost a year ago, she was referred to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. “I got there and thought, ‘Nope, not for me,’ ” she says. She was fearful about staying at a shelter that didn’t have a facility specific for transgender women. Babylyn Galit, who got the same referral when she […]
Heat hits vulnerable Nevadans hardest
Last week, HELP of Southern Nevada received a call from a 92-year-old man whose air conditioner broke in the triple-digit heat. “He had been sitting in his home for three days,” says Kelly Robson, the chief social services Officer with the nonprofit. “That’s not good for anyone, especially a 92-year-old.” Bob Cleveland, the executive director or […]
The privatization of public housing
Built in 1971, the Landsman Gardens was the first family public housing complex offered in Clark County. After years of being underfunded, Landsman Gardens fell into disrepair. Reports of asbestos, lead-based paint, and water damage plagued the property. Last year, public housing in Clark County fell from 2,755 units to 2,651, though not because of […]
Bubble? What bubble? Fitch, Forbes wrong, LV experts say
A Fitch Ratings report published by Forbes designating Las Vegas as the most overvalued real estate market in the nation has homeowners who survived the foreclosure crisis jittery and real estate agents angry. But experts say contrary to increasingly frequent warnings from Fitch and others, Las Vegas is not in danger of suffering another housing […]
Unhealthy and unregulated: Conditions in local shelters draw complaints
The Shade Tree Shelter in Las Vegas has a unique mission, describing itself as “the only 24-hour accessible shelter designed specifically to meet the needs of women and children in Southern Nevada.” But women and children staying at the shelter have also been exposed to excessive black mold, suffering respiratory related illnesses as a result, […]
Nevada has an affordable housing crisis, but no affordable housing policy
In 1940, the median value of a single-family home in the U.S. was $2,938. Well, it was 1940. Gas was 18 cents a gallon. You could get a Ford sedan (this was back when Ford still made sedans) for less than $800. A loaf of bread was 8 cents. Adjusted for inflation, 18 cents for […]
Send them away, sweep them away… A look at local policy on homelessness
Las Vegas officials claim that “by offering a one-stop shop with access to medical, housing and employment services through a variety of partners” at the city’s Courtyard Homeless Resource Center, “the cycle of homelessness can be broken.” However, the most used service at the Courtyard isn’t providing medical care, a home or a job, according […]