Low-income senior housing plan proposed

Diana Sahagun

Monday, Jan. 15, 2001 | 10:16 a.m.

Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley will ask Gov. Kenny Guinn during the Legislative session to set aside $6 million of his budget to help fund the first phase of a state-of-the-art senior housing project in the Las Vegas Valley.

Buckley announced the proposal Friday with Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who will work with Buckley to promote a partnership of federal, state, local and nonprofit agencies to provide low-income housing for seniors. In the duo's vision, a $12 million campus would be built in the Las Vegas Valley by the government and run by local nonprofit agencies.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, growth of the senior population is greater in the valley over the past five years than any other area in the country. From 1998 to 1999 the number of retirees coming to the valley increased by 26 percent. There are about 236,000 seniors residing in the valley.

The growth has left many seniors without affordable housing.

Buckley and Reid hope to reverse that trend with the three-phased project they hope will give seniors a place to live and to receive health care.

"It's no surprise that we have a crisis with regard to assisted living and long-term care in our community," Buckley said.

The $6 million request to Guinn would cover construction of a facility that would have 60 apartments for low-income seniors. Guinn is scheduled to release his proposed budget Jan. 22 during his State of the State address.

Residents would have access to on-site visits from health care providers and preventative care such as flu shots. Health care would be tailored to the needs of each resident, and meals would be available in a community dining room.

Phase two would add an additional 100 units, with an emphasis on providing affordable housing to couples who require different levels of care.

Phase three would be a nursing home for seniors who need around-the-clock care.

Buckley said rent will be based on a sliding scale of the seniors' income and will be designed to cover the facility's operating costs.

Reid said he will work with the Bureau of Land Management to secure land for the facility, using the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act to get the land either donated or at a small price.

"We are strongly certain we are going to be able to accomplish this," Reid said. "If we do, I think it will be a great example for the rest of the community. We want to make sure people in their golden years really have golden years."