‘In dire need’: Las Vegas approves more affordable housing projects

The Las Vegas City Council voted to allocate more than $22 million toward a pair of affordable housing projects near downtown.

The funds will help build 121 apartments at Sunrise Avenue and North 28th Street and renovate an existing senior living complex in a nearby neighborhood, according to a pair of agenda items approved Wednesday.

“We know that affordable housing ensures our families are stable,” Councilwoman Olivia Diaz told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “That our kids have a known place and space for them to partake in and enjoy as a community.”

Diaz, who represents the ward where the projects are occurring, acknowledged that the city is trying to catch up with the affordable housing crisis.

“We’re so many thousands, tens of thousands of units behind the ball,” she said, noting that valleywide, the shortage stands at about 90,000 units.

The funds originate from a Nevada grant of more than $41 million Las Vegas has to allocate by the end of the month, according to the city.

‘Blessed by this new community’

Construction of the new complex at 28th and Sunrise — which will total over $51 million — is scheduled to break ground in December and be completed by the spring of 2026, according to the city.

The 121 units ranging in size from one to four bedrooms will be within a mixture of one-story flats and two-story townhomes, the city said.

“The new units will be affordable with modern energy-efficient features and will include a percentage of units (that) are accessible to disabled persons,” according to the agenda item.

The site will provide social services and on-site management. Amenities will include central climate control, a dishwasher and washer and dryer, the city noted.

The complex will have a business center, a gym, a basketball court, a playground and a dog park, the city said.

“The City of Las Vegas is in dire need of affordable housing,” according to a fact sheet. “… families of many different sizes, who are in need of quality affordable housing, will be blessed by this new community.”

Renovations

Meanwhile, the Arthur McCants Senior Apartments at 800 N. Eastern Ave. are getting a face-lift to tune of more than $35 million.

On Wednesday, the city greenlit $9,250,000.

The developer will replace the elevators, HVAC system, potable water and fire prevention systems, and add “new security features,” according to the city.

The 116 apartments will also get new energy-efficient appliances, flooring, cabinets, counters and fixtures, the city said. Balconies will be upgraded and the units will get a new paint job.

“Improvements will also be made to ensure that the required units” comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The need for affordable senior housing in the Las Vegas Valley, especially housing that can serve extremely low income seniors, is dire,” the city said.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development currently assists renters, and will continue to do so after the renovations, the city said.

A completion timeline was not immediately available, and Diaz said officials were formulating a plan to keep residents housed while the renovations take place, likely in stages.

“I think the residents are going to be ecstatic with the outcome,” she said.

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