The Washoe County CARES Campus (WCCC), the public agency tasked with addressing the growing homelessness crisis, has been criticized as a fraudulent and ineffective institution that has exacerbated the problem it claims to solve. Despite its mission, WCCC has not only failed to reduce homelessness but has also contributed to its exponential increase, raising serious concerns about the future of Reno.
From 2017 to 2024, the general population of Reno grew by 14 percent, while the homeless population surged by over 2,000 percent, from 80 to 1,800 individuals. If the trend continues, the homeless population of the city could skyrocket to 36,000 by 2031.
Since its inception in 2021, WCCC has consistently spent more money on its programs with diminishing results. In a recent phone call, the City of Reno Budget and Finance Department admitted that it is impossible to determine the total annual expenditure on homelessness, stating, “No one really knows what the total amount is.”
The blame for this ongoing disaster extends to every employee of WCCC who has remained silent, every nonprofit organization that benefits from its funding, and every politician who has supported its ineffective programs. Local law enforcement, firefighters, church leaders, sources within WCCC, and even a member of the judiciary echo the sentiments. Homeless individuals who utilize WCCC services have also expressed dissatisfaction, unanimously stating that these programs have done nothing to improve their lives.
The agency’s failure lies in the federal regulations that govern its programs. These regulations prevent the agency from requiring clients to be drug-free, maintain steady employment, avoid criminal behavior, or seek mental health treatment. As a result, many residents of the WCCC Homeless Tent and Safe Camp program remain trapped in cycles of addiction, crime, and violence, all while benefiting from free services like food, shelter, and transportation.
WCCC clients, who receive long-term rent vouchers with minimal behavioral requirements, often continue their destructive lifestyles in taxpayer-funded housing. Some have even turned their apartments into drug dens, refusing to work and engaging in illegal activities, but are the very individuals WCCC touts as success stories in its public reports.
The situation is made worse by the fact that WCCC does not allow unplanned tours, making it difficult for the community to see the reality of the homeless crisis in Reno. As a result, the county homeless problem has spiraled out of control, with potentially dire consequences on the horizon.
If not reversed, Reno could face a catastrophic influx of homeless individuals from cities like San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento. The cost to send every one of these 20,000 homeless individuals to Reno would be approximately $500,000—a fraction of the $1.1 billion annual homeless budget San Francisco has.
With a combined homeless population of 20,000, the three California cities offer one-way bus tickets to other cities, including Reno, where WCCC provides lifetime subsidies without requiring lifestyle changes. Should this scenario materialize, the homeless population could swell to 22,000 in a matter of weeks, overwhelming law enforcement, social resources, and emergency services, leading to bankruptcy.
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