Handshake | Unsplash by Cytonn Photography
Handshake | Unsplash by Cytonn Photography
Clark County, in partnership with the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care and volunteers, conducted the 2023 Southern Nevada Homeless Census today. The census helps count unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness in the region.
The Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care works with local governments and other agencies, religious organizations, advocacy groups and others concerned with the issues of homelessness and affordable housing through a coordinated and regional approach to planning service provision.
The goal of the census is to get an accurate count of how many people are living without shelter or permanent housing in the County, and to identify their needs.
“It’s not just about numbers, it’s about human lives,” said Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones. “This information will help identify gaps in service provision and enable more effective targeting of resources for our most vulnerable citizens.”
Today, an impressive collective of 371 volunteers from the valley came together to lend their time and energy for a worthy cause. Among them were 51 individuals who have first-hand experience with homelessness – serving as living embodiments of strength and resilience in our community.
“By identifying our unhoused neighbors and greatly improving access to services, the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care can create a more effective response to alleviating homelessness in the region,” said Clark County Social Service Manager Michele Fuller-Hallauer. “All parties involved are committed to using data collected from this effort to help shape new policies.”
The data collected from the census will help service providers, policymakers, local, state and federal governments to better understand the needs of people who are experiencing homelessness and develop strategies to address them.
The 2022 Homeless Census found 5,645 people living in shelters or on the streets and estimated that nearly 14,000 people experienced homelessness in Southern Nevada at some point during the year.
Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability. With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 11th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to 2.3 million citizens and 45.6 million visitors a year (2019). Included are the nation’s 8th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The County also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to 1 million residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development.
Original source can be found here.
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