LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Our state has the most significant housing shortage in the nation, according to the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority.
The housing authority says building more affordable housing units will help, but utilizing all of their programs to help people into housing needs to be a focus as well.
Residents at the Otto Merida affordable housing community in the east valley told me they hope these programs continue to help those in need in our community.
“I’m so blessed and thankful," said Desiree Hamilton who has been living in the Otto Merida community for the past 14 years. Hamilton invited me into her home Tuesday.
“This is another bathroom right here," Hamilton said.
Before she moved into her home, she was homeless. I asked her what it was like being homeless in our valley.
“Terrible, terrible, it was the worst situation," Hamilton said.
So, she applied for assistance through the housing authority, and now she lives in her home with several family members including several of her children. Her home is two stories tall and has three bedrooms.
"Being blessed with a home, with a roof over my head, being able to lay down and go to sleep peaceful," Hamilton said.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing executive departments to "deliver emergency price relief" to Americans struggling with housing costs.
He directed them to take action to "lower the cost of housing and expand housing supply" so those in need could find a home.
The Otto Merida community is one of dozens the housing authority owns.
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According to the housing authority the vacancy rate for affordable housing is at 4% and for public housing it's at 2%
Housing Authority Executive Director Lewis Jordan shared during the Clark County Commission meeting Tuesday that we need about 80,000 more affordable housing units to fix the shortage.
Hamilton says despite that, she's glad affordability programs exist.
"They are very very important. It gives people to live and to be off the streets," Hamilton said.
Jordan told me success is also about more than just building homes.
"We can also look at how do we stem the tide of people who need affordable housing. Working with other entities around employment opportunities," Jordan said.
The housing authority has several programs that could help people into housing.
First of all, the Housing Choice Voucher Program. This program is also known as Section 8 housing, helping low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans and others pay for housing in the open market.
Jordan says this gives people the ability to live in different neighborhoods and have better access to schooling and employment.
The housing authority has an incentive system for landlords who take part in the program. The landlord makes units available for Section 8 housing and are rewarded for doing so. The person using the program will then receive help to pay for rent.
Jordan says they have 13,162 total vouchers with 100% of them utilized. He says they need more though and have reached out to get them. Along with trying to get more vouchers, they are also working on getting more landlords and units available for the program.
Jordan says there are 44,444 waitlist applications for public and affordable housing.
The housing authority says they'll keep expanding all their programs to help as many people as they can in our valley.
