LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Construction on Campus For hope is expected to begin this Fall, according to the new CEO Kim Jefferies.
This project is a new transitional homeless facility that will be built at the current Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services site on Charleston and Jones Boulevard.
This project has sparked up some controversy, so I brought your concerns to the project's CEO.
Watch previous coverage: Campus for Hope project stirring up controversy for nearby neighbors. Here's why.
“Yeah, I would worry about what it might do to this area," said Charlene Nelson, whose daughter lives near the site.
“My concern is that if there’s more people, we cannot come outside, because you never know," said nearby resident Wendy Molina.
WATCH: Channel 13's Ryan Ketcham report on the latest regarding Campus For Hope
These concerns mainly revolve around the up to 900 homeless people who will be referred to the facility and live there at a time. The average stay per person is expected to be four to six months.
This campus is designed to transition these people out of homelessness.
“With all the wraparound services somebody might need to recover from homelessness," said Jefferies.
This includes mental health, employment and substance abuse services.
“On the transformational campus site in San Antonio, we helped about an average of 3,500 - 3,600 individuals a year recover from homelessness," said Jefferies.
Jefferies used to be the CEO of Haven for Hopein San Antonio. This is a similar homeless facility that Campus for Hope is based on.
WATCH: New transitional housing to be built in Las Vegas
That facility opened in 2010 and has 1,094 residential beds as of now. According to the facility's data, they have helped 40,000 total people since its creation.
“When the campus in San Antonio opened, immediately there was a 77% decrease in unsheltered homelessness in downtown," said Jefferies.
Jefferies hopes Campus for Hope will have a similar impact in our valley.
Nearby resident since the 1970s Daniel Anderson says he believes Jefferies' experience will help the project become a success.
“I think it’s a fantastic thing to do for our community," said Anderson.
Not everyone agrees with him, though.
The biggest concerns are that the 900 homeless people will walk around the neighborhood constantly throughout the day, will attract other homeless people to set up encampments nearby and safety & security concerns.
Jefferies says they do have a plan to address the concerns, just as she was able to do in San Antonio.
“Local police will have that authority, whether it’s hiring them, coordinating with them, all of the above to make sure the area around campus is safe and secure for everybody," said Jefferies.
Jefferies says the county and city's illegal camping ordinances can help control new encampments popping up in the area.
Plus, on-campus security will help keep the facilities safe, along with everyone inside.
Jefferies says the people who will be referred to the facility will likely be homeless people who want to make a change in their lives. Jefferies gave examples, including single moms or someone who was evicted or fell on hard times, but want to utilize these services to turn their life around.
Remember, these facilities will only be offered to the people referred to and staying at the campus. If someone shows up on campus who was not referred by a city or county navigation center, they will be turned away and not offered services.
This facility will not offer a food bank or any outward services, which is one of the reasons why officials working alongside the Campus for Hope do not believe some of these issues will arise.
Jefferies says everyone currently staying on the 26-acre portion of the mental health services site that will be turned into Campus for Hope, and the services themselves should be moved by September. Shortly after, the construction will begin to demolish several buildings and build up the new campus.
Many tell Channel 13, despite the concerns many do hope this will help with the homeless in our valley.
“We’ve had too many homeless people on the street for too long," said Nelson.
Campus for Hope is expected to open in spring or summer of 2027. Until then, we will continue to update you on any new developments with this project.
