Affordable housing development opens

Erica Johnson

Monday, June 11, 2001 | 8:49 a.m.

West Las Vegas residents, city council members and community leaders celebrated the grand opening Friday of an affordable housing development that includes 195 townhomes near Lake Mead Boulevard and Rancho Drive.

Developed by the Shepherd Hills Development Corp., the gated community, at 1950 Simmons St., includes a family resource center, recreation area, child learning center and library.

"When we think of West Las Vegas, we think of blighted areas," said Councilman Lawrence Weekly, who represents the area. "But we've got to give people a reason to move back into our communities. Shepherd Hills is a way we can do that."

More than half of the two-story townhomes have been rented, Italia Taylor, Shepherd Hills Townhomes consultant, said.

The nonprofit group bought the 28-acre parcel for $1 in 1996 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to build affordable housing, Maxine Porter, the group's corresponding secretary, said. It broke ground on the project in December 1999.

Shepherd Hills hired Neighborhood Quality Housing, a national developer of affordable housing, to build the townhomes. The project was underwritten partially by the FannieMae Foundation with assistance from the Bedford Group and Bank of America.