Clark County Navigation Center now open, provides temporary housing for homeless

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another resource to help the Clark County homeless community has officially opened their doors.

The Clark County Navigation Center is a former Motel 6 that has been renovated to provide temporary housing and services for up to 70 people experiencing homelessness.

The center is also one of the latest properties being redeveloped to help the homeless community.

RELATED LINK: Vacant motel transformed into Betterment Community for homeless populations in Las Vegas

According to Clark County's website, there are about 5,600 people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada on any given night and about 14,000 people here will experience homelessness at least once this year. And on an average year, the county helps or provides services to more than 57,000 people.

Help Home Home officials spoke with unhoused people in Southern Nevada as part of a 2019 survey. Their data showed 68% of unhoused people said they were already living in Southern Nevada when they lost their housing, 45% were experiencing homelessness for the first time, and 44% were experiencing one or more "disabling conditions".

Finding affordable housing continues to be an issue across the valley. However, county officials have been setting aside millions of dollars through Operation Home! and Welcome Home programs and initiatives.

RELATED LINK: Clark County setting aside additional $70 million for affordable housing

For example, the Help Hope Home website states property owners can partner with them on affordable apartment units and homes. In return, the property owners can receive a $500 signing bonus each time a tenant signs a lease and Operation Home! can pay up to two times the. amount of rent as a security deposit. If things happen to the property, official state they have access to a fund to pay for repairs if the damage exceeds the security deposit.

Back in April, five acres of land was conveyed to Clark County through the Bureau of Land Management. County officials are set to build a new apartment complex on the property to provide housing to senior citizens in the valley.

RELATED LINK: Land given to Clark County to be used for affordable senior apartments

The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Interior also signed off on a new agreement this week that would sell federal land for $100 an acre for affordable housing projects.

"[This] is a huge step toward ensuring that every Nevadan can afford a home," said Congressman Steven Horsford. "We are making strides toward a more equitable housing future and an economy that works for everyone."

"Affordable housing in a critical and growing issue in Southern Nevada. There is currently a shortage of some 84,000 rental homes and a quarter of Nevadans spend over 50% of their income on housing," said Rep. Dina Titus. "[This] will meaningfully increase access to low-cost housing in our communities."

The departments are allowed to do this because of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998, which allows the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management to sell public lands within a specific boundary around Las Vegas for development.

Since the act was originally signed, federal officials said it has generated more than $4 billion through 19 rounds, funding projects that have supported the development of parks, trails, and natural areas, public infrastructure, conservation initiatives, and habitat conservation plans.

You can learn more about the county's current affordable housing projects here. You can also visit Nevada 211 to learn more about what housing and rental assistance services are available.