Homeless people gather around Huntridge Circle Park Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. Advocates say one of the problems with feeding the homeless is that it doesn’t solve the inherent problem of homelessness.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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More than a half-million people in the U.S. are homeless, and Las Vegas is among the top 10 cities in the country with the largest number of unsheltered residents.
Homelessness is a condition that cuts across demographic lines, while its causes are wide-ranging. For some, it’s mental illness. For others, combinations of divorce, drug addiction, job loss or financial hardship are the prime factors. And let’s not forget that many Nevadans never fully recovered from the Great Recession, a period in which entire neighborhoods were turned upside down by home foreclosures, job cuts and credit tightening.
Nevada’s homeless population — estimated at 7,544 people — includes parents, children, veterans, young adults and victims of sexual exploitation, which means it is going to take a robust, multifaceted approach to make any progress in getting them off the streets and providing them with permanent long-term housing options.
In the midst of a failing economy and burgeoning housing crisis, then-Gov. Brian Sandoval took steps to mitigate the growth of the state’s homeless population by issuing an executive order that established the Nevada Interagency Council on Homelessness in 2013 to coordinate and focus the state’s efforts to effectively address the challenge.
The council operates in partnership with its federal counterpart, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, as well as with Nevada-based government and nongovernment entities, such as the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, city and county governments, local law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders.
The goals of the state and federal ICH offices are to encourage collaboration across government agencies, help partners cut through layers of bureaucracy, leverage public resources, and promote innovative and cost-effective solutions aimed at ending homelessness.
This partnership with ICH allows Nevada and other partner states to work directly with the only agency at the federal level dedicated exclusively to ending homelessness.
The NVICH has developed a multiyear plan to rein in homelessness. It calls for increased interagency cooperation to address housing shortages and affordability, improve prevention and intervention services, promote workforce development and increase access to mental health services.
The plan entails using a data-driven model to meet achievable goals. The NVICH also helps state agencies apply for grant funding through the Cooperative Agreements to Benefit Homeless Individuals program, which is administered by the federally based Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. We receive over $671,000 in annual CABHI grant funding for homeless services through the program.
Unfortunately, the executive order that authorizes the NVICH is set to expire in 2020. If we do not take steps to reauthorize it, we will lose this vital council. Our state will also lose its ability to apply for and receive federal dollars through the CABHI program.
That is why I have introduced Assembly Bill 174, which would establish in statute the Nevada Interagency Advisory Council on Homelessness to Housing so we can continue to bring a wide range of agencies and individuals to the table to collectively address homelessness and affordable housing issues in Nevada. The bill specifically stipulates that the role of the council would be to coordinate the response of state and local agencies, develop ideas, share best practices, and leverage resources among local, state, and federal partners. A technical assistance committee would also be established to serve as an integral part of the council, providing advice and information to assist in formalizing a strategic plan and policy options.
Finally, the bill requires the council to report its activities to the governor and Legislature. This is our chance to continue to build upon the progress we have made thus far.
Tyrone Thompson has served in the Nevada Assembly since 2013. A Democrat, he represents constituents in the 17th District in North Las Vegas.
