LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Campus for Hope Foundation held a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for a project it describes as a “transformative solution” to Southern Nevada’s homelessness crisis. But while shovels turned dirt at the official event, protesters lined the perimeter, voicing concerns about how the project is being handled.
The new $200 million campus will feature a 900-bed facility, offering shelter, addiction recovery services, job training and life skills programs. Foundation leaders say the goal is to help those “ready, willing, and able to do the work” to return to stable, productive lives.
Outside the celebratory event, however, neighbors gathered in protest, concerned about the project’s location, funding, and lack of transparency.
“I want to invite them into the conversation because this isn’t a low-barrier walk-up facility or overnight shelter. It is a transformational campus where people are going to become residents,” Kim Jefferies, CEO of Campus for Hope, said Thursday.
More than 2,000 people have signed a petition demanding the project be paused. They’re calling for comprehensive traffic studies, environmental reviews and open discussions about the long-term costs associated with running the shelter, estimated at $30 million per year…