Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 13–Assemblymen Parks, Anderson, Andonov, Angle, Arberry, Atkinson, Beers, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Chowning, Christensen, Claborn, Collins, Conklin, Geddes, Gibbons, Giunchigliani, Goicoechea, Goldwater, Grady, Griffin, Gustavson, Hardy, Hettrick, Horne, Knecht, Koivisto, Leslie, Mabey, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, McCleary, Mortenson, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Perkins, Pierce, Sherer, Weber and Williams

 

March 31, 2003

____________

 

Joint Sponsors: Senators Rawson, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Cegavske, Coffin, Hardy, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, Nolan, O’Connell, Raggio, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Tiffany, Titus, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

____________

 

Read and Adopted

 

SUMMARY—Designates March 31, 2003, as Homeless Awareness Day in Nevada. (BDR R‑1327)

 

~

 

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Assembly Concurrent RESOLUTION—Designating March 31, 2003, as Homeless Awareness Day in Nevada.

 

1-1  Whereas, The 2002 Needs Assessment report from the Division

1-2  of Mental Health and Developmental Services of the Department of

1-3  Human Resources indicates there were 7,612 people in homeless

1-4  shelters in Las Vegas and Reno in the year 2000, with a need to

1-5  serve at least 16,049 people, and with 42 percent of these being

1-6  families with children under 18 years of age; and

1-7  Whereas, Recent estimates from service and housing providers

1-8  indicate there are at least 16,300 literally homeless and precariously

1-9  housed people in the greater Las Vegas area and approximately

2-1  6,500 literally homeless and precariously housed people in the Reno

2-2  and Sparks area; and

2-3  Whereas, Nationally, approximately 11 percent of homeless

2-4  people are veterans, but nearly one-third of the homeless population

2-5  in Clark County are veterans; and

2-6  Whereas, In Nevada, approximately 55 percent of the

2-7  homeless population are white, 35 percent are African-American

2-8  and 10 percent are Latino; and

2-9  Whereas, Studies indicate that between 70 and 80 percent of

2-10  the homeless people in Nevada are unemployed, while those who

2-11  are employed work day-labor jobs earning less than $400 a month;

2-12  and

2-13      Whereas, According to service and housing providers, the

2-14  major barriers homeless people face in trying to find employment

2-15  are the lack of child care, unmet needs regarding transportation,

2-16  disqualifying criminal backgrounds, inability to afford a Sheriff’s

2-17  card or other costs, and potential employers’ distrust and lack of

2-18  understanding about their situation; and

2-19      Whereas, The “Focus on Homeless Families with Children

2-20  Policy Academy,” a federally sponsored program consisting of key

2-21  state and local administrators, state Legislators and nonprofit

2-22  executives has prepared a “State Action Plan,” and continues to

2-23  meet and gather data on various aspects of homelessness, including

2-24  establishing baseline data on the homeless client population,

2-25  developing an inventory of affordable housing units, and developing

2-26  an inventory of services for homeless clients; and

2-27      Whereas, The Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy Nevada

2-28  awarded Community Chest, Inc., a grant of $89,000 for Fiscal Year

2-29  2003-2004 and $25,000 for Fiscal Year 2004-2005 to create a

2-30  documentary on homeless youth in Nevada; and

2-31      Whereas, The members of the Nevada Legislature recognize

2-32  the outstanding efforts of the numerous state and local governmental

2-33  agencies and various nonprofit entities dedicated to fighting the

2-34  homeless problem in the State of Nevada; now, therefore, be it

2-35      Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the

2-36  Senate Concurring, That March 31, 2003, is hereby designated

2-37  as Homeless Awareness Day in Nevada; and be it further

2-38      Resolved, That the members of the 72nd Session of the

2-39  Nevada Legislature hereby express their commitment to creating a

2-40  greater public awareness of the problem of homelessness in Nevada

2-41  and to continue to work cooperatively to solve this problem; and be

2-42  it further

2-43      Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and

2-44  transmit a copy of this resolution to Marybel Batjer, Chief of Staff

3-1  to Governor Kenny C. Guinn and Chairman of the Nevada Policy

3-2  Academy Team on Homeless Families with Children.

 

3-3  H