LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Skyrocketing prices for homes and rent and a supply shortage of properties are leaving a lot of people wondering where they’re going to go.
Now, state lawmakers are hopeful hundreds of millions of federal relief dollars can finally make a dent in Nevada’s affordable housing crisis.
A panel of Nevada lawmakers approved putting $250 million in federal dollars toward a new housing initiative, the largest investment in housing in the state's history.
WHAT WILL BE FUNDED? | ‘Home Means Nevada’ breakdown: The state's $500 million push for more affordable housing
The "Home Means Nevada" program proposed by Gov. Steve Sisolak aims to help lower the cost of housing by boosting the construction of affordable homes and homeownership opportunities.
Watch as Gov. Steve Sisolak and officials formally launch the "Home Means Nevada" housing initiative:
“For those that need housing just think about for every 116 people, there’s only one unit that’s currently available," said Michelle Merced, the CEO and president of the Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada.
"When I tell you we’re full, we literally have people who will come here begging, pleading, crying. They’re living in their car," she said.
"They’re not just seniors, there are families. That does not even touch the surface on those that are currently being evicted because rent is continuing to go up,” she concluded.
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For months, 13 Action News has been reporting on this exact topic and sharing the stories of people who are being pushed out of their homes because the price of rent continues to soar.
That’s exactly what Lamesha Rowe said has happened to her. She received a 60-day notice that her rent would be increasing by $205 a month
“I'm behind on rent, still behind a little bit on utilities, water, gas, electric, but definitely it’s scary. At this point, I’m just thinking about what we're going to do next,” Lamesha Rowe said.
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For more stories about housing in the Las Vegas area, visit ktnv.com/Housing.
