Growing homeless population gets attention in Legislature

Nevada's homeless population has grown to at least 19,000 people, and lawmakers were told Monday they need to turn from intervention to prevention if they want permanent solutions.

Homeless advocates told the Assembly Human Resources Committee the number of homeless increased from 7,900 to about 13,000 in the Las Vegas area since April. A statewide count done Jan. 27 shows there are also 2,430 homeless in the Reno-Sparks area and another 3,527 in the rest of the state - a total for last month of nearly 19,000.

Kelly Marschall of Social Entrepreneurs, which did the Reno area and rural survey, said that includes a disturbingly large number of single women and their children, as well as a growing number of seniors and veterans.

The count included not only those on the streets but those living in emergency shelters, transitional housing and motels - often with more than one family per room.

Paula Haynes-Green, regional homeless services coordinator in Southern Nevada, said there are undoubtedly many more homeless there that were missed in the count.

The hearing focused on AB84 by Assemblyman Bob McCleary, D-Las Vegas. The bill contains both an interim study on the homeless and a proposal to make it easier for them to get legal identification.

He said the lack of a driver's license or identification card is often a major roadblock for the homeless, preventing them from getting some benefits or getting a job because they can't prove legally who they are. His bill would eliminate the fees in getting those cards.

The hearing came on the same day Gov. Kenny Guinn issued an executive order creating the Nevada Interagency Council on Homelessness, drawing together business, state agencies, nonprofits and others to prepare annual reports on the issue and make recommendations to the governor.

Monday also included a rally by more than 100 people outside the Legislative Building. Led by officials of the Methodist Church, they said they came to draw attention to the plight of the homeless and ask lawmakers to help.

Ginny Lewis, director of the Department of Motor Vehicles, said one issue is that licenses and ID cards must have some address on them. But she said they can probably work out a way to use the address of the shelter the person is staying at. And she said with federal legislation on the way to tighten identification requirements nationwide, she would oppose any attempt to weaken Nevada's ID standards - which include a birth certificate.

Marschall and Green, as well as other advocates, said the top needs identified by the homeless are someplace to live and medical services. Identification is one of the keys to enabling them to get a job, place to live and access services.

Philip Mangano, director of the federal Interagency Council on Homelessness, told the committee they are urging states to do what Guinn has ordered and begin working on prevention strategies. He said in addition to being the right thing to do, it's proven in several studies to be cheaper in the long run because of the costs the homeless impose on health and social services systems, on law enforcement and other areas.

"What cities and states are learning across the country is that the old forms of intervention are less effective and more expensive," he said.

He said President Bush has increased the budget for homelessness programs by 8.5 percent this year. But Leslie said after the hearing that increase doesn't get the funding back to the level before the Bush Administration cut those programs several years ago. And she said the budget's cut again in the following year.

She said Nevada has some extra money this session and "I personally would like to see more money go into this subject."

She said McCleary's bill might become a vehicle for that effort.

n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or at 687-8750.