Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019 | 2 a.m.
Clark County is using up to $12 million annually from marijuana business license fees to assist the approximately 6,100 people who experience homelessness in the county.
For retail marijuana stores, a business license fee of up to 3% of gross sales is assessed. The revenue the county collects is separate from what the state collects, which is used to fund education.
Here’s how the money — those fees totaled $9.4 million in fiscal year 2019 — has been allocated:
To help the youth and medically fragile
Commissioners approved $1.8 million in May for homeless youth, and those suffering from chronic illness who need constant medical care.
The county also earmarked $930,884 to fund the HELP of Southern Nevada rapid rehousing program, which rehouses homeless individuals discharged from the hospital.
“Rapid rehousing works with homeless families to identify landlords, find apartments, help them get into it and assist with payment, rent and security deposit,” said Mike Pawlak, former director of the county’s social service department, during a May 21 meeting. The goal is to assist an additional 60 clients, he added.
Another $855,591 was allocated toward operations of the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, a shelter for young people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The money was used to fund 76 new beds for the shelter in addition to 60 supportive beds for individuals with medical issues, Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said.
Since receiving the additional funds, Shannon West has been able to provide more caseworkers and other wraparound services to assist 57 additional youth.
Rental assistance
Commissioners on June 18 allocated $6.1 million to provide rental assistance, case management, financial assistance and supportive services, which could ultimately help homeless get into permanent housing.
The funds were divided by three agencies: HopeLink of Southern Nevada, HELP of Southern Nevada and Lutheran Social Services of Nevada and went toward 594 beds for transitional shelters. It doubled what was previously available.
The money was also used to hire six more case managers in an effort to reunite families and prevent them from being separated in the first place.
The goal was to assist 180 families with these services, and so far the money has helped 65 families.
Outreach programs
The county has allocated more than $300,000 toward outreach teams and programs to connect homeless people with services, or help families in an immediate housing crisis.
On July 2, an additional $260,000 was earmarked toward a third homeless outreach team contracted with HELP of Southern Nevada. Around $1.2 million is put toward these programs each year, according to county records.
“We have three outreach teams now,” Kulin said. “They make face-to-face contact with the homeless and try to convince them to get services.”
The teams also conduct interventions, abatements and wellness checks throughout the county.
On Oct. 15, $50,000 was put toward a family diversion pilot program to work with families who are in an immediate housing crisis to connect them with services and/or other assistance to get them housed quickly,” Kulin said.
The program is a subgroup of the Southern Nevada Homeless Continuum of Care and is meant to provide short-term services assistance for individuals who have recently become homeless, or preventing them from getting there in the first place.
