Las Vegas City Council Bans Homeless From Sleeping on the Streets
A woman asks passing cars for money on a Las Vegas street. (Wikipedia)
As citizens rallied to voice their dissent, holding “Poverty is not a crime” posters and chanting “Housing not handcuffs,” the Las Vegas City Council voted 5-2 in favor of an ordinance on November 6 that criminalizes camping or sleeping on downtown streets on the condition that established homeless shelters have space. The law, which excludes the Las Vegas Strip, would charge offenders with a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for a maximum period of six months, or a combination of both. The nuances of the provisions are a result of a legal decision made last year by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, as a similar law enacted in Boise, Idaho, was struck down as unconstitutional. In response to these events, Las Vegas City Attorney General Brad Jerbic cited the use of the “if beds are available” provision as a testimony of the new ordinance’s legality.
A 2018 report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that approximately 60 percent of Nevada’s 7,500 homeless residents sleep outdoors. The Southern Nevada Homeless Census revealed that over 5,500 people are homeless in Las Vegas and the surrounding Clark County region. City officials estimate that more than 14,000 individuals are homeless around Las Vegas during the year.
Juxtaposing these figures with capacities at homeless shelters begins to show the massive potential consequences. For example, a rough estimate by the Review-Journal tallied, in total, 2,000 beds and 220 sleeping mats provided for the homeless in the surrounding Las Vegas area. Deacon Tom Roberts, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, claimed that they “are near capacity every night,” having provided for more than 500 people the night before. Fox 5 News published an article stating that the Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada averages 95 percent capacity.
Although activists have taken a critical stance toward the city’s actions toward treating homelessness, business owners have banded together in supporting the ordinance. Patrick Hughes, CEO of the Fremont Street Experience, a tourist-reliant entertainment venue, said previously that homeless conditions harmed businesses and created sanitation concerns. The Downtown Vegas Alliance, a collection of downtown business leaders representing banks, hotels, ride-sharing apps, and regional casinos, said in a statement that the ordinance helps “protect those who have made significant investment in the area.”
Ranked seventh in cities with high homeless rates, the recent change has sparked a wave of controversy, raising enough national attention to garner the perspectives of several presidential candidates. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) alleged that the law “caters to the interests of business groups rather than our families and communities,” while former HUD Secretary Julian Castro tweeted that the ordinance “will criminalize [homelessness],” calling the city council’s decision “shortsighted” and “cruel.”
Jerbic confirmed on November 6 that the city was seeking to increase the number of beds available for the homeless. In an effort to provide more housing space and a quicker transition, the city council also agreed to commit $16 million towards the Courtyard Homeless Resource Center.