LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A multi-million dollar program approved in the last legislative session could provide relief to families facing eviction in Las Vegas, where the housing crisis has led to a 12-percent eviction rate, higher than cities like Houston or Dallas, according to Eviction Lab.
Las Vegas Justice Court Chief Judge Melisa de la Garza emphasized the importance of keeping people in their homes. “When folks find themselves in a position where they can’t pay their rent for a month, we don’t want them out on the street,” she said. The eviction diversion program, launched in 2022 by the Las Vegas Justice Court in partnership with social services and Legal Aid, has already helped 80 percent of its participants—an estimated 2,000 households—avoid eviction.
Judge de la Garza expressed hope for the program’s expansion to include families with young children. “Is it possible to expand the program? That’s what we’d like to see it expanded to children under 1 so that we’re having those folks with tiny babies not on the streets,” she said…