Group to tackle problem of chronic homelessness

By Timothy Pratt

Monday, June 14, 2004 | 11:10 a.m.

Nearly three years after civic leaders met to tackle the Las Vegas Valley's homeless problem, another group will take on the same issue Tuesday.

This time, the event is billed as the "First Statewide Conference to End Chronic Homelessness," being held at Fitzgerald's downtown.

Last time -- Sept. 2001 -- it was "Reducing Homelessness in Southern Nevada: Designing a Plan for Action," at the Golden Nugget, also downtown.

As the region's homeless population grows along with the general population -- at more than 7,800, it is up 18 percent from 1999, according to a recent census -- the questions are: What will this meeting accomplish that the earlier one didn't, and how have approaches to the issue changed in the last three years?

"We're focusing on one thing -- chronic homelessness -- and on implementing solutions, not just talk," said Darryl Martin, director of Clark Social Service, and one of three organizers of the event, along with the Shade Tree shelter and the statewide Policy Academy on Homelessness.

The emphasis on chronic homelessness comes from the Bush administration, which is pushing to get the most hard-core homeless people off the nation's streets during the next decade through a direct approach: housing. The federal definition of chronically homeless is someone who has been without a place to live for a year or more or has been homeless at least four times in three years.

The Las Vegas conference will feature Bush's top man on the issue, Philip F. Mangano, executive director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Martin said he hopes Tuesday's event will stimulate a pilot project locally to house the chronically homeless.

"We want to start doing this here," he said. Though the county estimates that only about 10 percent of the homeless population falls into the category of chronically homeless, Martin said, they are "the biggest drain on resources" because they often need multiple services for mental health problems and addictions.

Anne Cory of the Nevada Policy Academy on Homelessness said that getting the chronically homeless into housing allows them "to work on other issues."

Clark County Manager Thom Reilly said one thing that has changed since then is that the region's local governments are working together.

In fact, the 2001 summit nearly fell apart at its beginning when county and Las Vegas officials fought over whether to show a video that highlighted the county's achievements in helping the homeless, leaving out the city.

Now Reilly leads a group of local government administrators that has helped the valley's municipalities reach consensus on a winter shelter plan, as well as on the census held in April and on a computer network to keep track of services to the homeless.

In 2001 a homeless task force led by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was to determine "how the actions will unfold within the community," according to information provided by the summit on homelessness.

Those months brought a five-point plan, meetings, and a failed initiative to get taxpayers to back a trust fund for implementing the plan. The task force eventually folded in early 2003.

Goodman said this morning that he also saw changes in the response to homelessness during the last three years.

"Three years ago it was like the Tower of Babel with every entity protecting their own situation," he said.

"Now the entire valley recognizes it's a regional issue."

Reilly said Tuesday's conference is "one piece of a larger strategy," with ongoing efforts including the pusuit of federal funding for projects to help other parts of the homeless population.

He said the event will be short on speeches and long on work.

Martin said he hopes the speakers will include homeless people he was contacting Friday.

"It's important for us as policymakers to hear from people who are living this," he said.

"How do you know what they need if you don't talk to them?"