Center for the homeless runs afoul of zoning rules

Judy Odierna

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2003 | 10:49 a.m.

The operator of a transitional living facility for the homeless near Martin Luther King and Lake Mead boulevards is fighting to stay open after being cited by Las Vegas for not having the proper zoning or licensing.

"It turns out we don't have the proper variance," said Anthony Mosley, who operates the God In Me Ministry at four properties in the 800 blocks of Hassell and Hart avenues.

"Once we found out, we immediately tried to fix the problem."

The ministry received a notice that it must move out the residents by Monday, but it could be allowed to stay open until after a March 13 hearing on a rezoning application Mosley filed last month.

"We want to work with him," Sharon Segerblom, director of Neighborhood Services, said. "I have all the sympathy in the world for his goal to help people. But zoning is about seeing what is appropriate and where."

Mosley said the ministry has been operating at its current location for more than 14 years. He took over ownership more than three years ago and cleaned up the facility that he says houses and feeds about 600 men a year and gives them a place to stay for 90 days while they try to find jobs and get back on their feet.

Mosley said those who have secured jobs, or can afford to, pay $65 a week to live there.

"It's nowhere near what it used to be like," Mosley said. "We really cleaned it up and turned it into a diamond."

Mosley said this morning he's not sure how many of the 63 current residents would have to move if the city enforces its order. He has been told that three or four unrelated people can live in the same house, which would allow 12 to 16 residents to remain.

"So that means we would have to evacuate up to 51 people to some place like Catholic Charities," Mosley said. "But we're still hoping that at the 11th hour the mayor or the councilman (Lawrence Weekly) will step in and help us.

"We thought we would leave it to God, and God would come through in the end."

Following a neighbor's complaint last November, city officials discovered Mosley was running the center. Mosley told city officials the transitional housing had been approved several years previously and given a special use permit. After checking city documents, officials found that was not the case. The City Council actually denied the variance in 1993.

The city issued a citation ordering Mosley to cease operations, then allowed an extension until Jan. 9 because of the holidays, according to city documents. On Jan 21 Mosley was given another extension and told he would have to cease operations by Monday.

Mosley applied for the zoning change on Jan. 28 to allow for a church and the other services that the ministry provides.

"I just assumed everything was fine when I took it over," Mosley told the Sun. "The former owner told me (former Mayor) Jan Jones said it was OK to operate there."

The ministry does not have a business license or any state licenses either. Mosley said he understood that he didn't need to get a license.

Jim Difiore, manager of the city's Finance and Business Services Department, said normally a church does not require a license unless it has money-making operations, like the nonprofit Opportunity Village, which runs a thrift store.

"If they do an activity that falls under non-commercial they would need a license," he said.

Mosley said he just wants to continue trying to help people get back on their feet.

"They should rubber-stamp a facility like this," he said. "(The city) should say thank you for helping us out."

Sun reporter

Timothy Pratt contributed to this story.