City, county share homeless financial load

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, May 15, 2002 | 11:03 a.m.

Elected officials in Clark County and Las Vegas spent the past year blaming each other for financially abandoning the homeless, but figures show nearly equal contributions from both sides.

During the past five years, Clark County has invested $11.6 million toward homeless shelters; over the same time period the city pitched in $10.8 million.

Though both governments use federal grants to fund homeless services, they wrangle over how much money is spent from general fund coffers -- money used to provide services and parks to all residents.

Last week, as the Clark County Commission prepared to allocate an additional $28,000 to operate a Salvation Army facility, Commissioner Erin Kenny questioned what other jurisdictions have contributed.

"Where is all the money? Where is all the money from other entities?" Kenny asked. "Where is all of it being spent?"

On paper the county and city contributed equal amounts out of their general operating coffers, but the county's general fund budget of $800 million is twice that of the city of Las Vegas.

Although the county and the city of Las Vegas receive federal and state grant money to fund homeless services, no entity is required by law to use its own funds to assist shelters. Which entity should pitch in what is up for debate.

"Who is responsible? That is the $64,000 question when it comes to funding for the homeless," said Douglas Bell, Clark County's community resource manager. "It's 'we' the larger community. The nonprofit community is the provider, but they need operating support."

The debate over who is responsible for funding homeless shelters in Las Vegas is no different than in any other community, said Ruth Bruland, executive director of MASH Village.

"In different communities we have experienced the same political battles and the same funding battles," said Bruland, whose MASH Village shelter is pulling out of Las Vegas because of funding woes. "This is going on all over the country."

Of the $10.8 million the city of Las Vegas has spent on homeless services, about $4.5 million has come from its general funds.

In 1989, the city also designated money in its budget for a "weather shelter" fund, according to Bill Arent, a senior development officer with the city. The special coffer is usually budgeted between $200,000 and $300,000 annually.

"Shelter providers told us there were extreme demands in order for them to augment services they needed additional funding," Arent said. "We've been funding it since then."

Of the $957,000 in block grant funds Henderson receives, $168,000 are given to homeless services. Henderson receives one-fourth of the block grants that the city or county receives.

A homeless hard count conducted by Henderson in 1999 shows that of the 6,707 homeless in the Las Vegas Valley, only about 293 were within Henderson's boundaries.

Spokeswoman Vicki Taylor said taxpayers fund social services, but most homeless don't use shelters. The city has a different approach to handling the homeless, who typically camp outside of the city.

"Preventing homelessness has been our philosophy here almost forever," Taylor said.

North Las Vegas' funding also comes solely from community development block grants and its general fund coffers. In the last five years, the city has contributed $146,550 to services; $25,000 came from the general fund.

Clark County has spent nearly $4 million out of its general fund. County Manager Thom Reilly said of the $1.3 million contributed to homeless services last year, $800,000 came from the general fund.

A trust fund that might soon be created by a homeless task force could resolve the funding disputes.

"Having a trust fund in and of itself is a mechanism," Bell said. "It will provide an ongoing and predictable source of revenues that can be used by nonprofit agencies."

Bruland said the trust fund should be a success if politics don't creep into the funding process.

"If it's run well it will be fabulous for the community," Bruland said. "If it becomes politicized, oh my gosh. It will be potentially devastating for providers that for one reason or another (are) all outside that political in-group."

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