Regional coordinator on homeless proposed

By Timothy Pratt

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 | 8:59 a.m.

The Las Vegas Valley's task force on homelessness approved a proposal Wednesday for hiring a regional coordinator to deal with the area's growing numbers of people living on the streets and in shelters.

The high-level position, if approved in the coming weeks by area municipalities, would be a first in Southern Nevada, and was hailed by task force members as a sign of the issue's growing importance and complexity.

"The position would make sure that the issue ... gets the attention it deserves," said Thom Reilly, Clark County manager, who outlined the proposal to the task force.

Reilly's proposal said the coordinator would work with a committee that would replace the task force. The committee would differ from the task force because it would add Boulder City to the roster, as well as representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services and Metro Police.

The task force was formed by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman shortly after a regional summit on homelessness was held Sept. 13, 2001. It includes representatives from area municipalities, nonprofits and the private sector, and has developed a five-point plan for reducing homelessness that has yet to be enacted fully due to a lack of funding.

At first the group met monthly, but interest seemed to flag after a proposal to fund homeless services through a property tax increase failed last November.

Wednesday's meeting was the first since May. After the meeting, Goodman said he was "thinking about" whether or not the task force would continue to meet if Reilly's proposal was approved by area municipalities. The next step for the plan is today's Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition meeting, where the same proposal will be presented.

The proposal includes a plan to share the costs of the coordinator's $70,000 salary -- Clark County would pay $30,100; Las Vegas, $23,800; Henderson, $9,100; North Las Vegas, $6,300 and Boulder City, $600.

The county would hire the coordinator and supervise the position.

North Las Vegas Councilwoman Stephanie Smith, a task force member, said having a coordinator in place would help organize efforts to address the problems faced by the valley's estimated 10,000 homeless people.

"Right now, our efforts seem to be very scattered ... if we were to coordinate, it would bring them together more," she said.

Henderson Councilman Stephen Kirk, another task force member, said having one person responsible for the issue regionally would help overcome differences between one administration and the next.

"There's never any continuity between one administration and the next -- a regional coordinator will pull this all together," he said.

But Linda Lera-Randle El, director of a nonprofit called Straight from the Streets, said that areas around the country have adopted similar strategies in recent years to deal with a problem that is often bigger than any one municipality. The key, however, is giving the coordinator enough power and budget to face the different aspects of homelessness, she said.

"It's a good idea because you've got accountability at a higher level than ever before," Lera-Randle El said.

"But it's another thing to hire somebody and add another layer to the bureaucracy ... by paying somebody $70,000 to try to do what whole city governments haven't been able to do," she said.