Latest news with #CampusforHope
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Las Vegas residents sue state over ‘arbitrary decision' to put a $200M housing project in their neighborhood
Helping the homeless is a good thing – but residents of a suburban neighborhood in Las Vegas say there's been a lack of transparency and due process in a new project. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it In 2023, Nevada lawmakers approved $100 million in funding for Campus for Hope, a $200 million housing project meant to address homelessness in the city. The rest of the money is being provided by a nonprofit backed by the gaming industry. The proposed site is the 6100 block of West Charleston Boulevard near Jones Boulevard, and two property owners who live about three blocks away have decided to fight it by filing a lawsuit. They say their quality of life, safety, and home values will be affected by the 'arbitrary decision' to place the facility in the current location. As 8 News Now reports, the suit, which was filed in Clark County District Court, alleges that state officials violated Nevada's Open Meeting Law by greenlighting the project without giving residents proper notice or allowing members of the public to comment on it. Last month, the governor even signed a bill to speed up construction of the project, says News 3. "Why are they trying to push this $200 million project so secretly into the neighborhood?' said homeowner Matthew Wambolt, one of the plaintiffs in the case, to 8 News Now. The plaintiffs argue the project creates an 'incurable defect' in the location and seek to halt it until independent studies are conducted on the potential impact of the facility. The plan is for Campus for Hope to be a 900-bed, 26-acre transitional housing facility. According to Nevada Current, the project will take up space on the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services campus and there are fears that it will displace existing mental and behavioral health services. According to the lawsuit, the facility raises safety concerns since it is less than a mile from the Linda Smith and Christopher Smith Family Campus, which serves children and adults with intellectual disabilities, and within a 2-mile radius of over 20 schools serving K-12 students. 'This project will dramatically alter the fundamental character of our neighborhood, transforming our quiet residential area into one marked by significantly increased congestion, activity, and potential crime,' it says. 'Ultimately, we believe this project will substantially lower property values and negatively impact the quality of life for local residents." It also says that the approval process for Campus for Hope was not transparent enough. 'Given the secretive nature of project approvals, the deliberate avoidance of community engagement, and the removal of normal oversight mechanisms … there is a distinct appearance of impropriety in the actions and backroom collaboration of certain state legislators and their large donors within the gaming industry are at play here,' says the lawsuit. Read more: No millions? No problem. With as little as $10, here's of diversified assets usually only available to major players "I have a question for the governor. The Strip, the casinos are giving hundreds of millions of dollars for this project. You're going to move these people off the Strip to this area?' said homeowner Gail Johnson to 8 News Now. Campus for Hope said it has 'met all the state and local requirements for the construction of the facility,' in a statement to 8 News Now. Boyd Katz, who works for a security company in the area, told the news station that it's not that residents don't want to help the homeless, they simply believe the project needs proper oversight. "If we add a facility with that many beds here just like that it's going to severely affect that area … not just the commercial area, but the residential neighborhood nearby," he said. Another issue is who's paying for the project. 'Local municipal authorities claim alternative locations were considered but have repeatedly refused to disclose any addresses, evaluation criteria, or comparative assessments that justify selecting our community as the ideal site," James Root, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, wrote in an affidavit. "Our city alone bears the responsibility for an estimated annual $15 million in operating expenses." The Nevada Current reports once construction is complete, Campus for Hope will run on taxpayer dollars almost entirely, split between local governments and the state. It will be overseen by a board of directors that does not include state or municipal representatives. With a total estimated $30 million a year in operational costs, this project could also result in a hefty tax burden on residents. This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Money doesn't have to be complicated — sign up for the free Moneywise newsletter for actionable finance tips and news you can use. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vaunted public-private partnership with resort industry has public footing 92% of ongoing costs
Rendering of Campus for Hope presented by Overland Partners architectural firm included in project's application to the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, has called Campus for Hope a 'groundbreaking project' that 'embodies the power of public-private partnership.' Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, a Democrat who sponsored the bill that greenlit the project, has sung similar praises. The initial $200 million cost of constructing the planned regional homeless hub is being split between the State of Nevada and a new foundation set up by the resort industry. However, once constructed, the campus will rely almost entirely on public dollars for ongoing operational costs but still be run by the private sector through a board of directors that includes no representation from the state or municipal governments. The Campus for Hope Foundation, whose board is instead composed entirely of resort industry executives, also plans on asking the state to donate 26 acres of state-owned land to the project. The land ask and other financial details of the public-private partnership are included in a 283-page application submitted by Campus for Hope to the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED), obtained by the Nevada Current through a public records request and not previously reported on. GOED approved the project in December without any public disclosure or comment. According to the application, Campus for Hope wants the State of Nevada to deed 26-acres on 6161 W. Charleston Blvd near the College of Southern Nevada to its foundation. The deed transfer, which the application says would happen in phases as the campus is built out, will need to be approved by the Nevada State Legislature this year. The Current asked Lombardo and Yeager if they support such a transfer. Neither responded. Campus for Hope in their application proposes a backup plan if a deed transfer doesn't get approved: a 99-year agreement allowing leasing to nonprofits at a reduced charge. A draft of that back-up lease says the agreement could conservatively be considered a $432 million in-kind contribution by the state. Campus for Hope plans to clear the site between July 1 and Sept. 30 of this year. Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in February 2026, with a targeted opening date of March 2027. A yearlong 'phase 2' for building additional structures on the property is expected to begin June 2029. One rendering, by architectural firm Overland and included in the application, appears to show housing units lining Charleston Boulevard with a series of larger buildings behind them. The site is currently known as the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services campus and houses multiple nonprofits and state agencies. A spokesperson for Campus for Hope previously told the Current no construction will begin until current occupants of the site, including the approximately 18 children in residential behavioral health programs on the property, are relocated 'to housing that is significantly better than the current buildings.' Part of those plans involve temporarily relocating some of the kids from the West Charleston campus to a St. Jude's facility in Boulder City. Additional details have not been disclosed by the state. Operating expenses for Campus of Hope are estimated at $34 million per year– $15 million of which is expected to come from participating municipalities, $15 million from the state, $1 million from the federal government, and $3 million from private contributions. 'Assurances' abound, but few details about displacement of mental health providers for homeless hub That means taxpayers will foot 92% of operating costs. Campus for Hope, through its public relations firm, did not directly respond to a list of questions submitted by the Current for this story, including one asking how that projected revenue breakdown was determined. Lombardo and Yeager did not respond to the Current's question about whether they feel that is an equitable split for the public-private partnership. Revenue at Haven for Hope, the regional homeless campus in San Antonio that Campus for Hope is modeled after, is more evenly split. Two years ago, the nonprofit described itself as averaging 60% government funds and 40% private funds. More recently that split has crept to 70% public and 30% private due to COVID funding, Chief Development Officer Celeste Eggert told the Current. For the current fiscal year, private contributions at Haven for Hope made up 24% of revenue, or $7.6 million of the $31.5 million budget, and the nonprofit United Way provided an additional 4% of revenue, or $1.3 million. Campus for Hope was pitched to lawmakers as an emergency measure on the third-to-last day of the 2023 Legislative Session. It established a $100 million matching fund to support the development and construction of a 'transformational campus' that addresses the root causes of homelessness. Resort industry officials had earlier indicated the proposal was driven by a desire to relocate to address the rise of 'vagrancy' on the Las Vegas Strip. As the measure was making its way toward speedy approval, lawmakers were told ongoing expenses would be shared between private donors, local governments, and the state. But no specific breakdowns were proposed. As of mid-December when Campus for Hope submitted their application to the Governor's Office of Economic Development for approval, Clark County and the City of North Las Vegas had signed shared service agreements for the project but the cities of Henderson and Las Vegas had not. Several lawmakers have publicly referenced behind-the-scenes tension between the municipalities over the Campus for Hope project. As part of the shared service agreements, the municipalities must operate navigation centers and emergency intake facilities within their jurisdictions. Those facilities must provide 'immediate shelter, nutritious meals, hygiene facilities, and essential supplies to those in crisis.' Campus for Hope proposes a 'hub and spoke' model where the municipalities intake and provide immediate assistance to people within their jurisdictions and then funnel them toward the campus for additional services. Campus for Hope's application states its initial set of services will include: medical and mental healthcare, job training and employment, transitional housing, social services, and community engagement and education. The campus expects to have 900 residential beds and assumes people will stay between 3.5 and 12 months. That means they could help between 900 and 3,086 people annually. Included in the application is a series of memos from Nevada GrantLab, a nonprofit that assists other nonprofits and public agencies in accessing federal grants. They summarize feedback on the project gathered during a series of meetings with more than 50 people at 21 existing nonprofits focused on addressing homelessness. Resort industry pitches regional homelessness project, asks state for $100 million match The first memo, dated Feb. 14, 2024, was sent to Wynn Resorts Chief Sustainability Officer Erik Hansen and Jeremy Aguero, a consultant who has worked on several high-profile private-public partnerships, including most recently the A's baseball stadium and its $360 million public subsidy. The memo noted that 'many participants strongly recommended CFH hire staff and add board members who have subject matter expertise in homeless services (including individuals with lived experience), social services and nonprofit operations.' 'This expertise is perceived as largely missing and problematic,' read the memo. Campus for Hope's board of directors is composed entirely of gaming executives: Craig Billings, CEO of Wynn; Katie Carano Miller, senior vice president of communications and government relations for Caesars; Jyoti Chopra, chief people, inclusion and sustainability officer at MGM; Meghan Sperano, vice president of global communications and chief of staff at Aristocrat, a gaming company; Keith Smith, president and CEO of Boyd Gaming; Michael Britt, senior vice president of government relations, public policy and communications at Red Rock Resorts; Patrick Nichols, president and CEO at the Venetian, or Marcy Miles, chief marketing officer at the Venetian; Ellen Whittemore, executive vice president and general counsel at Wynn; and Paul Anderson, senior vice president of government and industry affairs at Boyd Gaming. The application says the board offers expertise 'in corporate management, nonprofit leadership, healthcare, social services, economic development and public administration' but does not elaborate beyond listing their names and current titles in the gaming industry. Campus for Hope does establish a 'technical advisory committee' consisting of nonprofit organizations and local governments that, through quarterly reports to the board of directors, would provide 'expert guidance on the most pressing community needs,' but the committee would have no formal authority. A CEO has already been selected and hired to run Campus for Hope, according to the application. Their name was not disclosed in the application, and a project spokesperson did not answer the Current's request to identify them, but the person is described as having 'extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, with a strong background in leadership and community engagement across organizations such as nonprofit councils, foundations and human services programs.'. The foundation will employ 315 people when fully built out. The nonprofits also told GrantLab that Campus for Hope should more clearly define its goal and develop a plan specific to that goal, noting that 'generalized goal statements about homelessness are impractical and can be counterproductive.' That sentiment is captured again in a later memo dated Nov. 4, 2024: 'Participants emphasized that distinct populations have distinct needs, and combining multiple programs and/or populations in a single location may be difficult or impractical,' read the memo. While Campus for Hope did not respond to specific questions provided by the Current for this story, a spokesperson provided the following statement via email, speaking to concerns about input on the project: 'We are still in the early stages of the evolution of Campus for Hope. We have solicited extensive input from local service providers and local governments. We will continue to work closely with them and will proactively engage with individuals who have successfully transitioned out of homelessness and as well as those currently unhoused to ensure that the operational plan is informed by lived experience and is as effective as possible in providing meaningful support.' The statement concluded by saying additional information would be made available on the project's website: That website states that Campus for Hope's efforts 'are made possible by the generous support of many organizations and individuals' and lists 17 companies, all tied to the resort industry, that have pledged donations for the initial $100 million in private funds for construction. Mentions of the state funds are tucked behind in an answer to a 'frequently asked question.' There is no mention of Clark County or the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson.
