Latest news with #Segerblom
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Plan for displaced tunnel dwellers not included in flood control project
Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom and LVMPD LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett talk with citizens at community event Monday. (Photo: Michael Lyle/Nevada Current) Hours before Clark County began removing unhoused people from tunnels under the Flamingo Wash, Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom told nearby residents they might see an influx of people experiencing homelessness in their neighborhoods. Though Segerblom pledged to 'protect you guys and keep them out of your neighborhood,' there are still lingering questions about how many beds and shelter options were available to unhoused people living in the tunnels ahead of the encampment being cleared. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada, like across the country, has grown in recent years and there aren't enough adequate shelter options or housing to address the underlying crisis. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials and Segerblom told residents arrests and citations could be an option for those who refuse to move when the encampment is being cleared out. County officials along with LVMPD and HELP of Southern Nevada homeless outreach workers said on Monday that an unknown number of people living in the tunnels beneath the wash would be evicted this week in order to begin a $15 million Regional Flood Control project. 'We are not sure what is going to happen but the concern is a large number of people in the tunnels are going to be forced out' of the tunnels and into the neighborhood, Segerblom said during a town hall Monday night. Officials began clearing out the wash at 5 a.m. Tuesday. In Monday night's contentious hourlong meeting, community residents angrily questioned the county's response to homelessness and worried about an influx of unhoused people coming into neighborhoods. 'Here is the reality,' Segerblom said Monday night. 'We don't have enough manpower. We don't have enough rooms. We don't have enough of anything. But we do have a wash where a lot of people live who come out into the neighborhoods. We are committed to making sure no one can get into that wash and live in that wash. It's not going to happen tomorrow. It's a process.' Southern Nevada's 2024 Point-in-Time Count, an annual snapshot of homelessness on one particular night, identified 7,906 unhoused people — a number officials and homeless providers agree is an undercount. Data showed that the number of people experiencing homelessness grew 20% from the previous year. Addressing underlying causes of the rise of homelessness and housing instability in the state was not the focus of Monday's community meeting. Residents, instead, voiced frustration at the prospect of seeing more unhoused people in their neighborhoods, assuming that once folks are asked to leave the tunnels they will migrate to other areas in town. Community members also pressed for stronger enforcement by LVMPD and more jail time. Criminalization has been criticized by social service providers and homeless outreach workers who warn citations and arrests not only don't address the underlying reasons people are homeless but impede unhoused people from getting connected to services, including housing. Segerbloom said officials will attempt to refer those displaced from tunnels to the noncongregate shelters the county has opened, in particular the Navigation Center, a 70-bed facility that is designed to temporarily house homeless adults without children. During an interview, Segerblom acknowledged that the Navigation Center is typically at capacity. 'Let's see if there is someone who says they want services and I'll find a place,' Segerblom said. Despite not having enough beds or adequate programs to refer unhoused people to in general, Segerblom said the county was ready to deploy another tool on Tuesday: arrest and citation. Clark County's anti-homeless camping ban, which allows a person to be jailed up to 10 days and fined up to $1,000 for camping and sleeping in a public right-of-way, went into effect in February. The county passed the ordinance in November, months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities could criminalize those experiencing homelessness even if they didn't have enough adequate shelter space. LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett told the residents Monday that officers are 'absolutely arresting people and citing' unhoused people for violating the citation. A night in jail is estimated to cost about $135, according to estimates from Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care. 'Nobody wants to pay that for 5,000 people,' Segerblom said. One resident quipped, 'don't be so sure.' Toward the end of the town hall, Lou Lacey, the director of the homeless response teams with HELP of Southern Nevada, tried to explain to the crowd the process of connecting people with services ahead of the county clearing out encampments. The organization had already been into the wash ahead of Tuesday's scheduled abatement to warn residents to be cleared out and offer to connect them to a variety of services, Lacey said. He added that despite early interactions, some residents likely wouldn't take assistance until the morning of enforcement. But if people accept services, Lacey said HELP will 'take them to any substance abuse or mental health service' they request. 'These are still human beings,' Lacey said. 'You can't say 'you're going to go.' We have to reason with them.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Plan for displaced tunnel dwellers not included in flood control project
Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom and LVMPD LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett talk with citizens at community event Monday. (Photo: Michael Lyle/Nevada Current) Hours before Clark County began removing unhoused people from tunnels under the Flamingo Wash, Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom told nearby residents they might see an influx of people experiencing homelessness in their neighborhoods. Though Segerblom pledged to 'protect you guys and keep them out of your neighborhood,' there are still lingering questions about how many beds and shelter options were available to unhoused people living in the tunnels ahead of the encampment being cleared. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada, like across the country, has grown in recent years and there aren't enough adequate shelter options or housing to address the underlying crisis. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials and Segerblom told residents arrests and citations could be an option for those who refuse to move when the encampment is being cleared out. County officials along with LVMPD and HELP of Southern Nevada homeless outreach workers said on Monday that an unknown number of people living in the tunnels beneath the wash would be evicted this week in order to begin a $15 million Regional Flood Control project. 'We are not sure what is going to happen but the concern is a large number of people in the tunnels are going to be forced out' of the tunnels and into the neighborhood, Segerblom said during a town hall Monday night. Officials began clearing out the wash at 5 a.m. Tuesday. In Monday night's contentious hourlong meeting, community residents angrily questioned the county's response to homelessness and worried about an influx of unhoused people coming into neighborhoods. 'Here is the reality,' Segerblom said Monday night. 'We don't have enough manpower. We don't have enough rooms. We don't have enough of anything. But we do have a wash where a lot of people live who come out into the neighborhoods. We are committed to making sure no one can get into that wash and live in that wash. It's not going to happen tomorrow. It's a process.' Southern Nevada's 2024 Point-in-Time Count, an annual snapshot of homelessness on one particular night, identified 7,906 unhoused people — a number officials and homeless providers agree is an undercount. Data showed that the number of people experiencing homelessness grew 20% from the previous year. Addressing underlying causes of the rise of homelessness and housing instability in the state was not the focus of Monday's community meeting. Residents, instead, voiced frustration at the prospect of seeing more unhoused people in their neighborhoods, assuming that once folks are asked to leave the tunnels they will migrate to other areas in town. Community members also pressed for stronger enforcement by LVMPD and more jail time. Criminalization has been criticized by social service providers and homeless outreach workers who warn citations and arrests not only don't address the underlying reasons people are homeless but impede unhoused people from getting connected to services, including housing. Segerbloom said officials will attempt to refer those displaced from tunnels to the noncongregate shelters the county has opened, in particular the Navigation Center, a 70-bed facility that is designed to temporarily house homeless adults without children. During an interview, Segerblom acknowledged that the Navigation Center is typically at capacity. 'Let's see if there is someone who says they want services and I'll find a place,' Segerblom said. Despite not having enough beds or adequate programs to refer unhoused people to in general, Segerblom said the county was ready to deploy another tool on Tuesday: arrest and citation. Clark County's anti-homeless camping ban, which allows a person to be jailed up to 10 days and fined up to $1,000 for camping and sleeping in a public right-of-way, went into effect in February. The county passed the ordinance in November, months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities could criminalize those experiencing homelessness even if they didn't have enough adequate shelter space. LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett told the residents Monday that officers are 'absolutely arresting people and citing' unhoused people for violating the citation. A night in jail is estimated to cost about $135, according to estimates from Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care. 'Nobody wants to pay that for 5,000 people,' Segerblom said. One resident quipped, 'don't be so sure.' Toward the end of the town hall, Lou Lacey, the director of the homeless response teams with HELP of Southern Nevada, tried to explain to the crowd the process of connecting people with services ahead of the county clearing out encampments. The organization had already been into the wash ahead of Tuesday's scheduled abatement to warn residents to be cleared out and offer to connect them to a variety of services, Lacey said. He added that despite early interactions, some residents likely wouldn't take assistance until the morning of enforcement. But if people accept services, Lacey said HELP will 'take them to any substance abuse or mental health service' they request. 'These are still human beings,' Lacey said. 'You can't say 'you're going to go.' We have to reason with them.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Clark County project set to begin in central Las Vegas valley may push out homeless population in area
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As the homeless crisis continues across the Las Vegas valley, Clark County is set to begin a new project in the central valley that may push some of the homeless population in the area out. 'I wanted to hold this meeting because starting Tuesday morning, we are doing major reconstruction on the Flamingo Wash,' Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom shared. Segerblom introduced the Regional Flood Control project at Monday's Town Hall meeting. The project will include construction from Maryland Parkway to Cambridge Street and improvements to the Tropicana and Flamingo washes. Segerblom noted that a lot of homeless people will be pushed out during the construction process. Joyce Foster, who has been homeless for seven years, told 8 News Now that living on the streets of Las Vegas is a gamble and she is constantly on the move. 'How are we supposed to sleep in fear that we will be pushed out. We can just be sitting on a sidewalk, minding our own business and then all of sudden we are forced to move,' Foster said. This $15 million project will focus on removing rocks and debris and lining the areas with concrete. In addition, access ramps, metal fencing and lateral storm drain connections will be added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New county report outlines fresh vision of historic Las Vegas Commercial Center
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — On Wednesday, Clark County's Redevelopment Agency will review a draft report by design firm Gensler, offering a bold new vision for the 30-acre site near Sahara and Maryland Parkway. Dubbed 'Commercial Center 2.0,' the plan imagines a thriving cultural epicenter—complete with new arts venues, dining, festivals, and residential development. The architecture firm Gensler created the report. Currently, the report is in draft form, but it will be presented publicly for the first time at the May 21 meeting. It suggests turning Commercial Center into a 'cultural epicenter known for celebrating the legacy of Las Vegas while incubating new experiences through innovative arts, dining, entertainment, retail, and residential.' 'Real intention, but just ideas right now,' said Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, who represents the area. The Gensler report presents a bold reimagining: a Clark County Arts and Cultural Center, a revamped Ice Palace turned entertainment venue, and a modernized New Orleans Square. The last two items are 'definitely going to happen,' Segerblom said. At the same May 21 meeting, the Redevelopment Agency will vote on a proposal to buy land connecting Maryland Parkway to Commercial Center for around $7.1 million. According to the Gensler report, that property would be used for a large apartment complex. Even if these are just 'ideas,' it is a complete rethink of the Commercial Center. Images included in the Gensler report propose a mixed-use neighborhood, large-scale cultural events, outdoor space for events and festivals, encouraging new business and housing. It's touted as the creation of 'Commercial Center 2.0.' The report cites other, similar projects around the country that have brought new life to struggling neighborhoods. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Clark County commissioner spearheads Las Vegas Commercial Center revamp
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The Commercial Center in Las Vegas is undergoing a redevelopment process, aiming to revitalize the area that has long been neglected since its establishment in the 1960s. The redevelopment plans, spearheaded by Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, include transforming parts of the center into museums and office spaces. 'They wiped the whole fund out': Commissioner wants to claw back $8M given to chairman's district 'We're actually buying a couple of buildings here that we're going to tear down and make them into, ideally, museums and different office space,' Segerblom explained. The area, once notorious for high crime rates, is now seeing efforts to improve its infrastructure and attract new businesses. Lotus of Siam, a renowned Thai restaurant, originally opened in the Commercial Center and has been a staple of the community despite the area's challenges. Old promises of restoring yesterday's Las Vegas underscore revamp of new Commercial Center 'People said it was the most scariest plaza in Las Vegas,' Penny Chutima, owner of Lotus of Siam said as she reflected on the area's past reputation. Chutima recalled the high crime and rough neighborhood that surrounded their business. The restaurant left the center in 2017, due to these issues, but returned in 2021, with plans to revamp their operations alongside the center's redevelopment. Derek Stonebarger, owner of Arty's Steakhouse, is optimistic about the future of the Commercial Center, despite facing delays and challenges in opening his new restaurant. 'This whole area is ripe for revitalization,' he said. Paula Sadler, owner of Luxury Salon and Spa, has been actively involved in community efforts to improve the center, including organizing neighborhood clean-ups and graffiti removal. She emphasizes the importance of redevelopment while ensuring current tenants are not displaced. The redevelopment is part of a broader vision to create a vibrant community space with mixed-use developments, including high-rises and affordable housing. However, the timeline for completion remains uncertain, with significant planning still required. As the Commercial Center undergoes its transformation, local business owners remain hopeful that the redevelopment will bring positive changes while preserving the community's unique character. The project's success will depend on balancing new developments with the needs of existing businesses. All facts from this article were gathered by KLAS journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KLAS staff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
