Editorial: Transitional housing should go public

Tuesday, May 28, 2002 | 8:49 a.m.

Local government officials struggling to find answers to the homeless problem might want to stop by Bonanza View Apartments, near Bonanza Road and Eastern Avenue. This privately built complex with 75 units of transitional housing is already meeting with success. The apartment complex opened in January and was built by HELP USA, a national nonprofit organization that works to provide jobs and housing for homeless people, particularly veterans.

Managers at Bonanza View say the transformation of their tenants in just the short time they have lived there is remarkable. Seventy-five percent are veterans. Unfortunately, there are 3,000 other homeless veterans in Southern Nevada who could also benefit from transitional housing, not to mention another 5,000-plus homeless people whose numbers overwhelm local shelter capacity.

Transitional housing offers Spartan accommodations but a real chance for what the name implies -- a transition to a better life. Sadly, public transitional housing on the order of Bonanza View is nonexistent. We would like to see the city of Las Vegas work with other local governments to build public transitional housing mirroring what is happening at Bonanza View.