Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) hosted an affordable housing roundtable with local government officials, community leaders, and housing experts on how she can best partner with local stakeholders to address the affordable housing and homelessness crisis in Southern Nevada. Cortez Masto emphasized her work in the Senate on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, highlighted the affordable housing priorities she secured in the omnibus agreement for the people of Nevada, and expressed her continued commitment to fixing the crisis of affordable housing and homelessness in the state.
“I’m proud to stand with leaders in my community who are fighting so hard for working families and the vulnerable in Nevada. The stories I heard today from our local leaders on the current state of the affordable housing crisis in Nevada, and their efforts to reduce homelessness, are what I intend to bring back with me to the United States Senate. Too many Nevadans are being driven out of their homes due to rising rents that outpace their stagnant wages. Las Vegas is one of the top 10 cities in America with the highest homeless population, and it has one of the fastest growing youth homeless populations. It remains a top priority of mine to increase the supply of affordable homes and encourage investments in community development and housing programs to help Nevada families. We must create jobs and ensure that we assist community partners, like the ones I met with today, who are on the frontlines supporting our homeless populations with a roof over their heads and workforce development opportunities. While the omnibus legislation invested in critical priorities to help combat this crisis, there is still much more work that must be done. I will continue to fight for critical federal resources to ensure that we are providing much-needed support to struggling Nevadans.”
BACKGROUND:
Over the last year, Senator Cortez Masto has visited several homeless shelters in Northern and Southern Nevada fighting to help end homelessness and provide crucial support to those who have lost their homes. Last year, the Senator released a report titled “Slashing Investments in Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Redevelopment: Impact of the Trump Administration Budget in Nevada,” which highlights how the President’s proposed budget cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development would devastate effective housing programs that assist vulnerable Nevada families. The Senator also unveiled a report on the role of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs in Nevada.
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