Las Vegas is a city like no other. Yes, it is famous for the bright lights and all night parties. The overhead glow of The Fremont Street Experience and the crazy sight of The Sphere are one of a kind.  A place where you  can do it all, go home tomorrow and go back to your normal life. That is what Las Vegas is to most of the world. 

To the roughly 2.4 million of us that live here it is something very different.  To the people that call this city home it is exactly that home. The strip and other tourist destination are normally the last place you'll find any of us. Normally, we avoid Downtown whenever possible.  Like everything else in this world though things are changing, fast.

 Las Vegas is in trouble. Yes, there's a huge drop in tourism which matters because job in the casinos are some of the most sought after job in the city. They offer great benefits, retirements and in most cases union wages. So when tourism tanks we have a problem.

 I have heard and read about a hundred reasons why tourism is down. People don't have money like they used to, etc and while that may be a contributing factor. Anyone that lives here will tell you what the real reasons are. Homelessness. 

Noone wants to step over someone sleeping or worse begging you for money on Fremont Street or to see people doing the "fetty lean" at casino entraces up and down the strip. The filth, that is a direct result from such a high amount of homeless individuals, the smell, is in some places unbearable, and the crime, is none stop. 

Apart from driving down tourism, these are human beings. They shouldn't be living on the sidewalk. Making bus stops without seats so they can't sleep on them is not solving the problem (They just installed one on Carson and 9th it's surrounded by sleeping homeless all day and night).

They are making new laws  against vagrancy. It is already illegal in the city. They are making it so specific areas will be more protected from the impact. While that may help with the tourism problem it fails miserably on the humanity problem. 

 One huge issue is that once people become a part of this lifestyle (it really does become a type of lifestyle) rarely are they willing to do anything to get out of it. They may say they don't want to live on the streets but, they will reject any form of help offered that requires any type of action on their part. The city has tried different solutions. Clearly none of them are working and for obvious reason..

Here is an example of the government's attempt at helping prevent homelessness; They have the CHAPS program to help stop evictions but, the way that program is set up you cannot apply for assistance until you are served a tenant notice and reply to it. From that point you have around 30 days until you go to court for you eviction. The program doesn't even normally look at your application for around 45-60 days at the earliest. That's 15 to 30 days AFTER most people have already been evicted. 

With all of the findings coming out about food stamps and other welfare fraud and abuse, ranging from people have claiming food stamps in multiple states to companies getting millions in state and federal aid that are not even operational, it makes you wonder.

  How much of that is happening in Nevada?  What happened to all the money from the Dispensaries that was supposed to go to the schools? Or are we just supposed to pretend like that was never the deal and not talk about it? I doubt Nevada has some how been exempt from these seemingly nationwide fraud scams. It is clear what we are doing now is not working. The city will without doubt do as it always does and continue doing the same thing expecting different results.   

This goes on unchecked while real people suffer and sleep on the streets. They are surrounded by unwelcoming, "brutal architecture", bus stops that are so determined to not be useful to the homeless that they are useless altogether, leaving actual bus riders with nowhere to sit either.

I was born and raised in this city, and I refuse to see it become the next American City to succumb to this fate. If you have been paying any attention at all in the last 5 or so years you know two things the government is seriously messed up and that no one is coming to save us! That's ok. With how government works anymore we are better off without them.  I know that there is s huge number of people that share the same love I have for this city and her people.  We refuse to lose our city and we refuse to lose our humanity.  That's why I started The Save Vegas Project. 

The SVP is for likeminded individuals to have a way to truly make a difference for Las Vegas residents facing potential eviction from their homes and becoming another person sleeping on the sidewalk.  We are also working with downtown businesses to coordinate a trash pick-up program utilizing homeless individuals. Giving them a way to earn things like gift cards other items. It also gives them a chance to give back to community that is supporting them, at a time they cannot support themselves. From the businesses that allow them to get water every summer or use their facilities it takes a village.  

We understand the potential for fraud and abuse is high in any humanitarian program anymore. See our page for Fraud Prevention for a few of the ways we are combating fraud from applicants, including in-persons visits from an advocate for every recipient. 

As an organization we strive to remain as transparent as possible with donors and applicants alike. Currently as an organization, we are currently looking to transition to the 100% model. This model ensures donors know that everything they are giving is going 100% to the cause.  If you are one of these people who believes in Vegas and in its people please, join us in our mission by donating or volunteering with us. Thank you.