Veterans, seniors: Scarcity of low-cost housing

Housing of all types for all sorts of individuals seems to be a buzz-word these days. But seniors and veterans especially seem to be lacking when it comes to locating reasonably affordable residences in reasonably decent neighborhoods around the state. What’s a body to do?

In Reno, affordable or budget-friendly rentals typically range from $750 to $1,100 per month for smaller spaces like studios and one-bedroom apartments. Overall citywide average rents sit higher at roughly $1,515 a month, making low-cost units competitive and scarce. Rental and deposit financial assistance in Reno is available through local government and community programs for low-income households facing housing instability. Key local resources include the City of Reno Deposit and Rental Assistance Program, Washoe County Human Services and the Reno Housing Authority. The city of Reno offers walk-in rental and deposit assistance appointments at city offices, or via email at housingassistance@reno.gov. Applicants generally need an income at or below 60% of the area median income and proof of housing sustainability.

Several months ago, the nonprofit Tunnels to Towers applied to build low-cost housing for veterans in North Las Vegas across the road from the Veterans Affairs clinic. The city blocked the project saying that the property was not zoned for residential. Many veterans’ organizations and elected officials expressed shock at that excuse. The city could have easily voted to rezone the land, but decided not to. Was it because North Las Vegas did not want veterans living en mass within its boundaries, via the old bromide “not in my backyard”?

The group Nevada HAND is developing a complex south of Las Vegas Boulevard, 281 units specifically designed for low-income seniors. Called Serene Pines, it will reportedly feature a community room, a computer lab, a fitness center and other amenities. At a recent commercial real estate development association meeting I attended, HAND CEO Tim Veenstra implied that developing affordable housing is not easy, but his organization has been doing so.

An 80-unit affordable housing project that recently opened in Las Vegas is Beals-Henderson Pointe, is available for households that earn between 30 and 80% of the area’s median income. It also features many amenities often found in more expensive units, including a playground, barbecue stations and a basketball court. It was built by the Michaels Organization in partnership with the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority and funded by private equity raised through the sale of federal low-income housing tax credits and American Rescue Plan Act funding. Housing Authority executive Kathy Thomas was quoted in the press as saying that many people think affordable housing lowers the value in a community, but the attractive Beal-Henderson property proves that assumption to be false.

In July, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was considered a step in the right direction, but reports say it is unlikely to do much to blunt the high cost of rent anytime soon. The act aims to speed up building and overcome a housing shortage. But it provides little or no new money, and in any event, the federal government does not control local housing markets.

Speaking about homelessness at a separate function, Mayor Shelley Berkley recently said to a group, “I don’t kid myself for a minute, we’re not going to get everybody off the streets. But I’m going to do everything I can to stem this tide, because it’s going in the wrong direction.”

Several months ago, the Trump administration announced a new effort to initiate legal guardianships for homeless veterans. The system is being carried out by Veterans Affairs lawyers with the Justice Department that will at some point allow guardianship proceedings for veterans who have no family and who are unable to make their own health care decisions. On the negative side, some rights activists say the proposal places homeless people in institutional settings against their will.

Cheapest Places to live in Nevada among larger incorporated cities are reported to be North Las Vegas; and Pahrump, an unincorporated town, in the south, typically hovering around $900 to $1,150 a month. For smaller rural or frontier towns like West Wendover or Ely, average rents can drop even lower, often ranging from $700 to $800 monthly.