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May. 05, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

TOUGH TIMES: Less help as more need aid

Economy, foreclosures push many families to the edge

By ALAN CHOATE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

An economic downturn, a wave of foreclosures and anemic state and local budgets are combining into a stark reality for those who work with housing and the homeless: People need more help at the exact time that there's less help available.

"We're already seeing some budget cuts from the state, and there are other budget cuts that are going to come," said Major William Raihl of the Las Vegas Salvation Army. "A lot of families are living on the edge. These tough economic times are pushing them over the side."

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    • Shelters, food banks and assistance programs are all reporting increased requests for service because of a perfect storm of economic misery: higher food and gasoline prices, higher health care costs, layoffs, and a foreclosure rate that's the highest in the nation.

    But perhaps most telling is that people who were once donors and volunteers now need assistance.

    "Many of the people we've seen in the past who gave us donations -- now they're in a position where they need help," said Phillip Hollon, residential services director for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. "They're embarrassed. That's very hard for them. But it's something that's required to take care of their family."

    Clark County numbers show the trend as well.

    A program that provides rental vouchers served almost 10,000 people in the past fiscal year.

    In the current budget year, though, the county's on track to process almost 13,000 people through the same program.

    Budget numbers show that, too.

    Last year the program cost $7.2 million, about 14 percent more than was budgeted.

    That's not unusual, said county spokeswoman Jennifer Knight: "You have to estimate every year how many people are going to need aid."

    This year, however, costs are expected to reach $8.8 million, which is 31 percent higher than budgeted.

    The demand is also showing up in other areas.

    Requests to the county's social services department in the first three months of this year were 33 percent higher than the same period in 2007.

    "We're seeing a new demographic," Knight added. "We're seeing more families. People who previously had more resources and were more prosperous are now coming to us."

    With a slow economy and tax revenue down, will the dollars be there for these services?

    "That's a good question," Knight said. "We just have to take it on a year-by-year basis."

    Catholic Charities has seen demand double at its food bank, to more that 100 bags of groceries a day from about 50.

    The organization also provides food to The Shade Tree, which houses women and children.

    The residents there have numbered about 120 in the last 10 days, more than double the normal amount, Hollon said, with foreclosures getting the blame.

    There are about 250 men in a separate program for people having trouble finding housing, a 25 percent increase from two months ago, he said.

    "We are planning for much higher impacts" as the year progresses, Hollon said. "The funding from the legislative session and Clark County is getting smaller. We're looking to really work smarter and make our resources go longer."

    The Salvation Army's emergency shelter, meanwhile, sees about 500 people a day, roughly a 25 percent increase from two years ago, Raihl said.

    And the clients are not as monolithically older men as they used to be.

    "Anecdotally, the increase is just obvious to us," Raihl said. "Our priority right now is women and children, because that's a need that's exploded over the past year.

    "There really is a lack of facilities in Las Vegas. There's really no place for intact families to stay."

    The Salvation Army's biggest worry, though, is a cut to its drug and alcohol addiction treatment program, which serves 1,600 people a year. It stands to lose $380,000 in state funding because of revenue shortfalls at the state level. That's about a third of the program's $1.2 million budget.

    "That's substantial. We're scrambling," said Raihl, who said he "turned white" when he heard that news.

    There's also bad news over at HELP of Southern Nevada, which offers an emergency rental assistance program.

    They're expected to have $200,000 less in the next budget year, even though that budget already is inadequate.

    "We usually run out of funding. It'll probably be gone by the middle of this month," said Terrie Stanfill, the nonprofit's president and CEO. "Next year, it'll probably run out in April."

    The news isn't all bad. For instance, state cuts spared $1 million in homeless funding, $600,000 of which is slated for housing in Clark County for 375 homeless people.

    But that's a slim ray of hope. When budgets are cut to make ends meet, programs that can prevent or cut short homelessness suffer, noted Linda Lera-Randle El of Straight from the Streets, a homeless outreach organization.

    "The beginning of homelessness starts with these budget cuts," she said. "We don't ever save anything. We just look good on paper."

    The Salvation Army's Raihl was equally grim.

    "I'm generally an optimist. But I'm a pessimist for the rest of this year," Raihl said. "By the time we hit Christmas, we're going to be in some difficult times."

    Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate @ reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.



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    Joe C wrote on May 05, 2008 06:58 PM: To money trees grow in fantasy land,

    Yea, I’m a wimp; I’m not the guy calling people names thru the web.

    The biggest employer in the U.S. is government and you don’t find that a concern.
    Again I agree with personal responsibility and for government and business.
    I don’t agree those who took sub-prime loans or speculators deserve a bail out, oh wait we bailed out the banks that were responsible for the sub-prime loans.
    Oh and it’s with taxpayers money, and tax breaks for the oil companies like they need it.
    I do suggest you check out the documentary Maxed Out and the immigration attorney’s deceitful practices on YouTube.
    Or are you afraid of the truth, and by the way financially I’m fine.

    Possibly you should stick to name calling instead of fact.


    tim wrote on May 05, 2008 06:25 PM: this is just another excuse for gov.employees and their bosses to get more money.they get 7million tax dollars and its not enough?what a bunch of bull.those departments are worse than the people asking for the money.dump them all and give that money to the churches.


    Money Trees grow in Fantasy Land (USA) wrote on May 05, 2008 05:25 PM: Joe C, you are a wimp. Blaming others for self-inflicted poverty?! You are another wimpy American that has no sense of INDIVIDUAL Responsibilty, and just want to pursue "evil corporation" conspiracies. And, corporations are created, owed and directed by Individuals! Business 101. American was not built by Wimps, but is going down by Wimps. Now, everyone get back the the PARTY while it lasts...


    jay wrote on May 05, 2008 04:48 PM: We all are too happy to point our finger and say It's their fault. We never can do anything wrong. Higher oil price , recession in economy, housing market collapse , all above not my fault. I not only have a big truck(we are by far the largest users of oil), blame the immigrants(at least they are willing to work) and have one of the biggest houses( 1 million dollar house on a less than 70 K salary). We also have stopped studying and who wants to save.In our hypersexed overdrive(hyper),lobby controlled white house and lawyer and media controlled nexus sheer survival amazes me. STOP BLAMING OTHERS and look at the other three fingers where they are pointing..........


    Joe C wrote on May 05, 2008 02:06 PM: To the thrill,
    I suggest you check out the U.S. Census fact finder and get real knowledge of the number of U.S. citizens on welfare.
    The bigoted statements that all Americans are on welfare waiting for handouts; is pure propaganda as more citizens are working harder for less and paying more for everything.

    Forty two percent of families make under fifty thousand dollars a year.

    The exploitation by our wealthy is real.
    I suggest you check out the documentary I recommended, Maxed Out, and watch the immigration attorneys give their seminar on how to avoid hiring educated U.S. citizens.

    As far a drug addiction all nations are suffering including mexico.
    As a matter of fact the exact demographic of U.S. citizens affected most by addiction, our younger less educated are the one in direct competition with illegal aliens.

    Gee, do you think mexico could have an agenda. It would be the first country to under-mind a country using drugs, check into what the British did to China with opium.

    It’s good you are so angry and emotional without facts.


    duh wrote on May 05, 2008 12:55 PM: the usa can't bring the rest of the world up to our standard of living so the usa brings the usa down to 3rd word standards..


    the thrill wrote on May 05, 2008 12:24 PM: The comments below are stupid. Budget cuts have more to do with offering more services to people that look for a handout. The illegals, the welfare mothers who don't ID the father, the drug addicts that want free drugs during treatment, only to go back to the old circle of friends and relapse again. Cut out the bird feeder, the birds go elsewhere. Look at the facts, there are familes that have multi-generations on welfare. Why is this? Because it is free money. The illegals come here for the jobs, but also FREE SERVICES!! Many states offer drug programs that provide drugs so it is easy for the addict. Lock them up and make them go cold turkey!!! The $$ saved can be used to send them somewhere far from their circle of friends and train them to work! The welfare mothers that are single should be required to identify the fathers, who should support their children. I agree with the comment some make about our "AID" to other countries. We should spend our money here and take care of our citizens who pay taxes! Better schools for "OUR" children. Our government is not perfect by far, but the USA is the best country to live in. I don't read about China, Mexico or Iraq having a problem with immigrants. DOn't want to raise taxes cut down on what we give out free! OUt sorce our prison system. Send them hardcore repeat offenders SOB's to Russia for $5000, a year. We would save billions on legal fees, prision cuts and so forth. Wake up and reduce America's bird feeder to the folks that REALLY need it!!


    Joe C wrote on May 05, 2008 12:18 PM: To Mike L,,
    There are certain points to what you say, and people not living on credit cards and changing their I must have everything mentality; but legal immigrants are also suffering and even our college educated.
    You simplify a complex subject.

    H1B visa workers are paid less and displacing our educated, check out YouTube video called Cohen & Grigsby.

    Illegal immigration has lowered wages and also displaced many.
    Some college students leave with debt up to 60 thousand dollars.

    To understand the credit exploitation by greedy corporations and understand some ways our greedy elite have been systematically destroying our working middle class rent the documentary called, Maxed Out.

    The signs are there that our lives are changing to the haves and have not.

    Plus many immigrants come from such a lower standard of life it’s unfair to compare the two.
    We should not have to apologize for once having a huge and vibrant standard of life for our middle class.


    Money Trees grow in Fantasy Land (USA) wrote on May 05, 2008 09:37 AM: Well, the streets are filled with cars being operated by solo drivers, everyone has a cell phone, everyone walks out of malls with bags, and restaurants are filled. Looks like a big PARTY in most of the U.S.! For cheap housing, just go to CRAIGSLIST in Vegas: $500 a month for tons of inventory! I don't see tough times lol!! Maybe the PARTY should get over for a change! But then, some would have to car pool, buy cheaper cars, love their existing jeans and shoes, and cook at home. What a concept. The responsible (less credit hungry) have done that for years. Americans have lived FAT for years. Need to slim down.


    Mark M wrote on May 05, 2008 08:28 AM: Community charity is in as much need of reform in America as Health Care -but you never hear a word about it. Take some time before donating your next gift to review a website like charitynavigator.com, a website that evaluates the efficiency of the money spent. While neither Catholic Charity nor Salvation Army are listed because of a reporting exemption for their religious status, others, like Habitat for Humanity (HH), are. 15% of the $1.5 million in funds for the local HH chapter goes to the salary of the Executive Director. The "CEO" (!) for Goodwill of Southern Nevada makes $156k. This is common across all charities. While those who are of much more limited means commonly volunteer their services (albeit part-time), those who are presumably in the best financial position to donate their time command salaries in the $100k range and higher (why not just $60k?). Is this not a conflict of interest? No amount of wealth seems sufficient or secure enough now for the hippie generation. It's like gold fever without restraint. No house is big enough. No car slick enough. The seat at the $100 blackjack table is so much better than the $10. Sure, Janis Joplin was cool to listen to when we were young and poor and no one we knew or trusted actually owned a Mercedes Benz, but that was then! Those damn cars are sweet! Face it, the industry that serves the needy employs a ton of people who would themselves be in need of assistance without this "industry" and the salaries paid reflect a value and a place in society commensurate with our own sense of worth, maturity and "values".


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