MASH says funds are needed to cool emergency shelter

Tuesday, July 10, 2001 | 10:06 a.m.

In response to recent protest marches sparked by the closing of the "Tent City" encampment, MASH Village has issued a challenge to the public to raise $500,000 to fund its emergency shelter through the hot summer months.

"We are not unsympathetic to the homeless, but if we don't have the funding, we cannot fix the problem," MASH Village spokeswoman Hannah Johnston said.

MASH Village, which houses 160 homeless families and 20 women age 50 or older, said it would cost an additional $500,000 to keep its emergency cold weather shelter at 1559 N. Main St. open from May through November.

"We cannot do it on a month-to-month basis because that is too stressful on the homeless, who would wonder if they were going to get kicked out each month," Johnston said of the tent that provides shelter for 250 men from December through April.

Protest marchers last week questioned why the tent, which currently is vacant, could not be utilized to address the current shortage of beds for the growing numbers of homeless people in Southern Nevada.

One reason is the lack of an adequate air-conditioning system, which would cost about $80,000, officials said.

"Two years ago the tent was tested during the summer, and the lowest temperature reached was 95 degrees," Johnston said. "By adding 250 single men, the tent would be unlivable (because of) the extreme temperature outside."

Other expenses would include repairing damage to the tent caused by water and smoke from an April arson fire and additional staffing, Johnston said.

"If someone is willing to give us the funds, we would do it," she said.

The city of Las Vegas helps fund the MASH's winter emergency tent and has issued a temporary operating permit to the agency through April 2002.

The shortage of beds for the homeless hit home this summer when the city was forced to address health problems resulting from the ramshackle Tent City encampment alongside the railroad tracks near Owens Avenue and A Street, which was home to as many as 200 displaced people.

Earlier this month Metro Police broke up the squatters' community after the property's owner signed an agreement with the city to trespass the homeless after the city had threatened to take abatement action against the land owner.