‘A safe place to go’: Housing project for low-income seniors coming to Las Vegas

The plot of land in the far north valley sits mostly vacant, occupied on Monday with heavy machinery and a few construction workers.

But starting in 2026, the 9.5 acres will be ready to welcome low-income seniors in 238 modern apartments and 38 tiny houses, according to elected officials who participated in a ground-breaking ceremony Monday morning.

Gov. Joe Lombardo said that future residents of the Decatur Rome Senior Apartments will be able to live with “dignity and comfort” and have a “good quality of life and an affordable quality of life.”

The project — which is being constructed on land formerly managed by the Bureau of Land Management — is coming together after a years-long collaboration between local, state and federal governments.

It’s being built by Ovation Development Corp., which partly specializes in affordable senior living.

The complex intends to alleviate an affordable shortage crisis that’s also affecting seniors on fixed incomes.

A day-in-time census of the Clark County homeless population in 2023 counted 6,566 people on the street, public shelters or transitional housing, the highest overall number since 2015. One in three were over the age of 55, according to the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care.

$78 million project

“This is wonderful, and it’s exactly a design of what the state is supposed to be involved in,” said Lombardo, who’s been lobbying the White House to streamline the process for releasing federal land to local jurisdictions for housing developments like this one.

The $78 million project — located near the 215 Beltway East and North Decatur Boulevard in the city of Las Vegas — is partially being funded through Clark County’s Community Housing Funds and the state’s “Home Means Nevada” initiative.

This isn’t Ovation’s first project for low-income seniors. A similar housing complex broke ground last year under a similar public-private arrangement.

“I take immense pride in affordable housing and creating quality housing for everyone regardless of their income,” said Alan Molasky, the company’s chairman and founder.

He said there were “six new projects in the pipeline,” which will provide an additional 1,300 units by 2028.

Modern amenities

At Decatur Rome Senior Apartments, 180 units will be reserved for seniors age 55 and older who earn 49 percent or less of the area median income, or $41,111 annually, and 96 units for those who 59 percent or less of the area median income, or $49,501 annually, according to Ovation.

Monthly Ovation senior property rents in 2024 for a one-bedroom unit are $893 for seniors at the lower income level and $1,071 for the higher income level, while two-bedroom units are $1,071 for the lower income level and $1,285 for the higher income level. Rent includes all utilities.

Along with wrap-around services, amenities will include, a food pantry, social rooms, business and fitness centers and green energy, according to the developer.

Despite the bipartisan efforts to obtain more land from BLM, there is still a shortage of more than 75,000 affordable housing units statewide, Lombardo noted.

Lombardo said developers are ready to build, but rely on government entities to ease some of the red tape.

“It’s a matter of predictability, availability, zoning, permitting and the ability to have collaboration,” he added about building more units.

Las Vegas Councilwoman Nancy Brune, who represents the ward where the project is being developed, said she hopes to attend more ceremonies like Monday’s.

Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine said lack of affordable housing affects many aspects of the economy.

“None of the other work we do economically matters at all if we haven’t fixed housing here in Nevada,” he said.

Clark County Commissioner Marylin Kirkpatrick noted the “mile-long” wait list of seniors seeking help.

“When I say low income seniors, that’s your mother,” she said, “that’s your grandfather, that is your aunt, your uncle; somebody who needs a place to go, and a safe place to go.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.