Las Vegas NowCity Council Gives Housing Funds to Evacuees

City Council Gives Housing Funds to Evacuees

The Las Vegas City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to re-allocate up to $1 million in federal housing funds to help hurricane evacuees. But council members and citizens expressed concerns over how this could affect local families who also have a desperate need for affordable housing.

A critical need for more affordable housing in Southern Nevada topped the list of priorities established by our Growth Task Force long before Katrina came crashing into the Gulf Coast.

Councilman Larry Brown said, "We need to continue to be aggressive with affordable housing."

Las Vegas city council members echoed that need again, but also answered the call to help displaced hurricane victims who have come to Southern Nevada to start over.

The council voted unanimously to re-allocate up to $1 million in federal HUD funds that had been earmarked for the future development of affordable housing projects in Las Vegas. Now that money may be used to provide rental assistance to as many as 200 families for up to six months.

The biggest concern expressed by council members before they approved the housing reallocation was how it would affect low-income residents already in Las Vegas who have been waiting up to two years to get their own Section 8 housing vouchers. Would they be bumped to the back of the line now?

Deloris Sawyer, who heads up the Las Vegas Section 8 housing program, assured council members and the public they won't. She says, "It will not impact our current Section 8 voucher holders, or those currently on our Section 8 waiting list who are not even eligible for these funds."

But while officials claim no current housing programs or projects would be adversely affected, they did admit that the future development of affordable housing projects could be stalled if FEMA does not reimburse the city eventually.

Orlando Sanchez, with Las Vegas Neighborhood Services, said, "We will do everything in our power to get our money back. But like you say, there are no guarantees."

Only two citizens voiced their opposition. Neither opposed using the federal funds to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees, but instead expressed concerns about the city housing authority's ability to administrate the funds properly.

Housing authority officials say checks and balances will be monitored closely.

Contact Reporter Alyson McCarthy