Clark County Bridge Housing Program Receives First Residents
After months of preparation, the first residents of a new bridge housing program have now successfully moved into a supportive housing facility. This marks an important milestone for addressing homelessness in the local area, and these individuals can now benefit from safe and secure living arrangements while they work toward long-term stability.
The former Safari motel has been transformed into a BETterment Community, becoming a beacon of hope for some of our most vulnerable adults. This compassionate program provides bridge housing and an array of supportive services such as counseling and employment assistance. The motel-turned-bridge-housing will provide temporary, safe, and stable housing for up to 50 clients at a time, and up to 184 individuals a year.
"This community provides critical resources to help our unhoused neighbors get back on their feet and into permanent housing," said Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy II, whose district includes the former motel. “Together, our collective efforts will bring real and lasting solutions. We are grateful with our partners, including the City of Las Vegas for their continuous support.”
Supported by both local government representatives as well as members of non-profit organizations devoted to fighting homelessness, this initiative is just one part of Clark County's commitment to working towards a better tomorrow for all its residents. The County has allocated $4 million to fund the BETterment Community program for two years. The program could be extended for an additional three years.
“Homelessness remains a critical issue here in Las Vegas,” said Shalimar Cabrera, executive director of U.S.VETS – Las Vegas. “Providing supportive services in bridge housing are a proven solution in an individual’s journey toward sustained recovery and stability. We’re pleased to lead an effort that can help individuals transition into long-term housing.”
The County contracted with local homeless services provider U.S. VETS to operate the BETterment Community program, which is modeled after a similar program U.S. VETS operates for veterans. The U.S. VETS – Las Vegas program has served more than 5,000 veterans since 2001, and 80 percent of those served by their program transition to permanent housing each year.
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Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability. With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 11th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to 2.3 million citizens and 45.6 million visitors a year (2019). Included are the nation’s 8th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The County also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to 1 million residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development.