Housing authority approves broader background checks

Erin Neff

Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1999 | 11:11 a.m.

The Las Vegas Housing Authority board agreed Tuesday to broaden its screening procedures for applicants to its buildings.

The changes in background checks were approved after several meetings between the authority and Metro Police following a Las Vegas Sun article and editorial examining a loophole in the screening process.

Currently the LVHA conducts background checks on prospective tenants through Metro. Those checks, however, only detail crimes within Metro's jurisdiction.

As a result, the authority currently did not know if a person was a convicted rapist, murderer or drug offender from another state.

The new procedure allows the LVHA to conduct a background check through the Nevada Highway Patrol and the FNI, similar to the checks already conducted by the North Las Vegas Housing Authority.

Now the LVHA will screen all prospective tenants through NHP. If NHP finds a record in the person's criminal check, that person will be asked by the housing authority to submit to fingerprinting. The FBI will then run a check on those fingerprints to determine what type of arrest the person has in his or her past.

Commission Chairwoman Niecy Harris expressed concerns that the applicants could receive prejudicial treatment as a result of criminal pasts. Betty Turner, the authority's deputy executive director, said LVHA has policies in place to deal with applicants who have criminal backgrounds. Depending on the severity of the crime, a person could still be granted admittance to public housing, provided enough time had passed since the crime.

The passage of time varies depending on the type of crime, Turner said.

The cost for each new state search with NHP is $15. FBI searches will be $24 each.

The board unanimously approved the new procedures and money to cover them.

LVHA currently pays Metro $7 for each check it conducts.

North Las Vegas officials, who switched to the national checks last year, said the broader screenings have played a role in reducing crime in public housing and making residents feel safer.

The Clark County Housing Authority is also considering expanding its screening procedures to include state and national background checks.

Commissioner Chris Hoye abstained from the vote because of his employment as a Metro sergeant. Commissioner Juan Garcia was absent.