In April 2020, Washoe County’s website announced the county was part of a nationwide program called Built For Zero. In January 2021, Special Projects Manager Dana Searcy and Washoe County published a comprehensive Built For Zero report outlining the number of available beds in Washoe County used to identify gaps in the community.
“We want to be clear about what is included in our data and what is not: The HUD Housing Inventory Count performed annually by the CoC (Continuum of Care-HUD Funded) [are] different from this, but there is some overlap between the two,” the report reads. “Additionally, we did not include programs that fall into the next step of transitioning out of homelessness, including affordable and subsidized housing.”
Shortly after President Joe Biden signed the legislation on Thu., Mar. 11, 2021, Washoe County received $91,587,038 in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) for projects and programs supporting the ongoing COVID-19 impacts and recovery efforts. Simultaneously, The City of Reno was awarded $51.5 million from the SLFRF through the ARPA.
Then the Reno City Council contracted to buy Governor’s Bowl on East 7th Street near the Spaghetti Bowl and turn it into a permanent emergency homeless shelter. According to the City of Reno documents, the price tag for the Bowl was $2.2 million. The county took the reins because Reno needed approval from the county for funding, creating an inefficient process.
On Tue., Feb. 2, 2021, Searcy said 76 percent of 1,436 were in a housing program or emergency center, and the remaining number, about 340, are verified or assumed to be without a shelter.
The Nevada CARES Campus opened on Mon., May 17, 2021, featuring a tent–with no heat or air conditioning and 604 Beds. The county claimed an 88 percent occupancy rate for the first year. In July 2021, responsibility for all homeless services, including finances, was transferred to Washoe County.
In June 2022, it became public that the tent in the encampment did not protect people from Covid-19, instead adding to the health risks. Further, black mold was growing in the shower areas, and the water pipes had frozen over the winter and left unrepaired.
Brown and Searcy contracted with a Canadian-based company OrgCode Consulting to provide Washoe County with research on how the region was doing and how it could do better in July 2022.
The county website shows that as of April 2023, Searcy remains stuck on Phase Two of Five Phases: counting the homeless population so proper funding and resources can be established.
Also, in April 2023, spending concerns became apparent about the three-year lease at 170 South Virginia Street, for $643,679.05 for offices for the Cares Campus team, and the approval of $225,170.73 for office furniture for the team for the three-year lease. Despite this, Washoe Commissioners moved forward with 35 new partnerships, now running through millions of dollars for less than 800 people on the payrolls.
Meanwhile, Washoe County has 735 beds available for homelessness, and commissioners recently voted to increase the funding from $38 million to $70 million.
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