Homelessness in Las Vegas | Las Vegas Advisor

Homeless people are in the news today, mostly L.A., Frisco, and Seattle. I remember getting off the wrong exit in Las Vegas and driving through a long stretch of indigent people. It wasn’t good. I try to read the RJ every day after LVA online at 0200 in Chicago, but I’ve yet to see this problem addressed. Any comments?

And

On my recent trip to Vegas, I noticed that there seemed to be more homeless people on the streets both on the Strip and downtown. Is homelessness on the rise and if it is, does the local government have any plans to assist these unfortunate people? As a visitor I always give them at least a dollar, it's not much but they all seem thankful for it. Also, are some of these people former gamblers who lost their money in the casinos?

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, southern Nevada expects to spend $369 million total in 2019 on the homeless problem. That breaks down to $26,500 per homeless person for the year. Jeremy Aguero of Applied Analysis told the Las Vegas City Council that the tab includes “include social services, housing, policing, incarceration, medical treatment, hospitalization and cleanup of areas popular with the homeless.”

While the actual number of homeless people is decreasing (coincidentally or otherwise as Nevada outpaces the nation in job growth), the cost of helping them has gone up. “We think the problem is likely to continue to get worse as our population continues to grow. Looking 20 years out, the mid-case scenario puts the annual cost of homelessness to the community at $1.1 billion per year and the high and low estimates between a half-billion and $2.2 billion,” Aguero said.

Even as Nevada’s economy is booming, it still ranks eighth nationwide in number of homeless; 24 out of every 100,000 Nevadans don't have a place to sleep at night. For young people, the problem is even worse: Nevada is first in juvenile homelessness. On any given night in the county, nearly 1,200 youth are living without a home. Furthermore, what Aguero calls the “missing middle” — households that can’t qualify for subsidies, but also can’t afford the going rate on homes — is widening.

The little bit of good news is that the city’s Courtyard Homeless Resource Center, which opened 24/7 in July 2018, is a mostly safe place for people on the street to congregate, sleep, and avail themselves of social services. The indoor-outdoor center off Foremaster Lane and Las Vegas Boulevard North has gone through its share of challenges; the nonprofit hired to run the one-stop shop had to be fired less than five months after signing its contract and staff turnover is high. Still, it seems to be a model that addresses most problems of homelessness, including substance-abuse treatment and recovery programs (certainly including problem gambling, to answer the last question), behavioral and mental health services, provided people with one-way tickets to their hometowns, even placing people in housing (nearly 800 in the first 12 months). Upwards of 300 people per night stay at the center, whose records indicate that more than 6,000 homeless individuals were assisted in the first year.

Unfortunately, that number is expected to grow in the near future. But at least some progress is being made.

Is homelessness on the rise in Las Vegas and if it is, does the local government have any plans to assist these unfortunate people?

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vegasdawn Dec-06-2019

What help

Doesn't it always seem that the more government "helps", the worst the problem gets?

Rick Sanchez Dec-06-2019

Vegasdawn

If you hand it out, they will come.

rokgpsman Dec-06-2019

Homeless people

No doubt many of the homeless people are burned-out druggies and other misfits of society & people with a medical condition, those that couldn't hold a job for long even at the simplest level. My guess is that many have given up on life and just try to get thru one day & night at a time. I do see some that look and act reasonably normal, I wonder why they don't clean themselves up and try to find a job somewhere. It could be that they are just lazy or have no ambition, their way of living suits them just fine, they don't want to work since they can exist on handouts and rescue missions. Sad, but there are homeless people that would turn you down if you told them you'd pay them to rake a yard or some other menial job and offered to give them a ride to the job. They just want you to give them the money. A high percentage I see are men, maybe women have more self-respect or maybe there are more shelters for women.

Brent Peterson Dec-06-2019

The Big Point Missed

The questioner stated that they always give at least a dollar. That's more of the problem than the solution. To truly help these people donate to organizations that do so. Yes, you may have to actually do some research to find a quality organization, but being part of the solution is always more difficult than being part of the problem.

O2bnVegas Dec-06-2019

Ditto

What Brent said.  Salvation Army, Union Rescue Mission, Compassion Centers, Red Cross, are at work in every city.  But they need money, lots of it.  What have the OPs done help?  Read the newspaper?

Instead, decide on amount, $100 or more (or less), that you can spare.  Divide it among those orgs you trust or send it all to one.  And call one of them, ask what you can do to help.

Homelessness is complex.  It takes special people to work within that sphere.  Drug addiction compounds everything.  Some learn to survive and prefer it to the structure of shelters.  If they would gut it out and take the help they could be put on a path to a meaningful existence, education, job, self esteem, help others.  But many don't believe in themselves, that they could succeed.

This Christmas (or any day) take your kids to a shelter to help serve a meal, read stories to children at a women's shelter, volunteer somewhere.  Drugs, gambling? Don't judge the reason, just give, and wisely.

Jackie Dec-06-2019

I myself was homeless once

I doesn't matter why or how, what matters is the fear as everyone is looking to harm you in one way or another.  Services are mostly demeaning and judgmental like some of the comments here.  Why you can't get a job! Simply put why would you hire anyone not wearing a suit to an interview, have a phone number to contact or an address that isn't known to be in a shelter area of town or that your body language or facial look shows hopelessness?  Addictions are a roller coaster ride and everyone knows it so no addict is trusted to maintain employment to start with so why hire them.  Government isn't at fault here, our social expectations, prejudice, bigotry, and holier than thou attitudes are at fault.

Larry Stone Dec-06-2019

fewer bridge people

i visit las vegas every october.  in previous years, there were wall-to-wall homeless people on the pedestrian bridges that span LV Blvd.  This year there were fewer homeless people on the bridges.  maybe they moved to california.

Lee Wojcik Dec-06-2019

What is being done in Henderson for it's homeless population?

Henderson, NV is the 2nd largest city in Nevada.  Downtown Henderson is in the midst of a "revival". There are 3 casinos located there.  There are homeless people taking up residence all over downtown Henderson.  It is a big issue there and most people do not want to go there.  There is no foot traffic at night there as people do not feel safe. If people do go there they go to 1 place and leave when they are done. What is the City of Henderson doing about the homeless issue?  For the homeless people that want to get back on their feet there needs to be help to get them there not just handouts.

David Miller Dec-06-2019

Same old story

  This scenario keeps repeating itself in cities all over our nation. Bleeding heart liberals rail against all measures to remedy this problem with the exception of having the government giving more, more more. Here is a suggestion, all of the liberal do gooders should open up their homes to the homeless and house them , supply them with drugs and clean up after them.

SoCalDude Dec-06-2019

Thanksgiving

You see where I live but I was in Vegas for T-giving. My family and I donated some time to help the less fortunate on T-giving day. We were Downtown near the Neon Museum. There was a place for people to get some food but also clothing stations where those in need of clothing could look for some. It seemed like every single one of them wanted a warm jacket. We ran out very early and could have used another 300+. Of all of the places for homeless to live I have to think Vegas is among the worst because it is 450 degrees in Summer and cold in Winter. I do agree things are about to get worse WHEN we have a Recession by 2022 (The reasons for it are not worth getting into here - but we will be having one and it will be worse than in the past because safeguards in place have been weakened or eliminated) the number of less fortunate will rise. Significantly. Sadly.

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