Housing
Helping homeless youth succeed: what it takes, and where the state fits in
More than once in her life, 18-year-old Alonn Adams didn’t think she would graduate high school. Since she was 9, she lived in 26 foster homes in Southern Nevada and transferred to more than a dozen schools, which made getting passing grades difficult and the overall pathway to success littered with obstacles. “My freshman year […]
Despite pushback from Realtors, Sisolak signs tenant protections into law
Despite public pressure from Realtors, Gov. Steve Sisolak signed legislation Wednesday to lengthen the time frame of evictions and provide tenant protections. Last minute amendments were added to Senate Bill 151 on the final day of session that capped rent late fees at 5 percent and allowed those who have been evicted to return to […]
Bipartisan support for bill to marry HUD and manufactured homes
After the 2018 election, the big hope — or so both the White House and members of Congress said — was that both sides might be able to come together accomplish something on … infrastructure? Maybe? Yeah, not so much. But one piece of albeit much smaller legislation has been attracting support from both Republicans […]
Industry pushing Sisolak to veto tenant protections bill
Following last minute changes to a bill that provides mild tenant protections and slightly extends the time frame for evictions, Gov. Steve Sisolak’s office hasn’t indicated whether he’ll sign or veto the legislation. Helen Kalla, a spokeswoman with the office said “the governor will be reviewing the final language in the coming days and making […]
Mild tenant protections added at last-minute to eviction legislation
On the last day of the legislative session, Democratic lawmakers passed a few mild tenant protections. Last-minute amendments were added to Senate Bill 151 — legislation that previously passed both houses and slightly extends the time frame for evictions — which allows people to retrieve essential items such as medication, basic clothing and baby formula […]
Housing advocates say Democrats caved to special interests
Throughout the session, lawmakers, housing justice organizers, home builders and the real estate industry all agreed Nevada has an affordable housing crisis. When considering how to fix the state’s lack of available units, as well as obstacles faced by renters, many are left wondering if the concerns raised by developers and Realtors were given priority […]
The 2019 Legislature’s most magnificent flop
Your Nevada Legislature is almost done! Cool. Each time the Legislature meets there are many urgent priorities. But no priority may be more urgent to legislators than getting the Legislature done. That might be because in Nevada the Legislature meets for only a few months, and only every other year, so legislators must scramble to […]
LV housing: Incentives for the haves, “streetscaping” for the have nots
When a developer from Tennessee wanted to build a luxury apartment complex on Symphony Park, the City of Las Vegas stepped up with a cut-rate deal — $4.25 million for the 5.25 acre parcel within the city’s redevelopment area. Appraisals for the property ranged from $6,187,000 to $20,580,000. “The only way the City will see […]
County directs $1.8 million in pot fees to help homeless
The Clark County Commission unanimously approved $1.8 million of marijuana business license fees be allocated to help homeless youth and medically fragile homeless. Tuesday’s vote comes after commissioners’ commitment in January to use the more than $9 million generated from the business licenses to go toward homeless services. “We should have done this a long […]
Tenants’ rights legislation dies under pressure from Realtors
A bill designed to enhance the rights of tenants in Nevada but labeled a “slap in the face” by Realtors, will not move forward. Senate Bill 256 was designed to ease the burden for renters, who make up almost half of all Nevadans. But opponents said it would have driven landlords out of the business, […]
Trump administration allowing growth of home “chattel loans,” senators warn
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and several other Democratic senators are urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to improve transparency on how manufactured homes get their financing. Cortez Masto along with Senators Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley, Patty Murray, Tina Smith, Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal and Ron Wyden outlined their concerns in a letter […]
Realtors slam bill to protect renters as “a slap in the face”
Nearly 44 percent of Nevadans are renters. But legislation designed to beef up renters’ rights is facing stiff opposition not only from Republicans and landlords, but from some Democrats and low-income housing officials, too, who contend the measure threatens to reduce an already insufficient supply of affordable housing. Real estate and property management executives […]