City looks to find housing for homeless

Carson City plans to start a program to provide homeless people with temporary housing and job training.

Kathy Wolfe, city human service program manager, said the city will get a $40,000 grant in September from the Western Nevada Home Consortium to start the program.

People will stay an average of six months in housing approved by the Nevada Rural Authority. The city eventually hopes to raise enough money to build its own facility, Wolfe said.

"We're looking under every rock to see if we can get funding," she said.

The only emergency shelters available in the city for adults now are six houses and duplexes supported by the community service group Friends in Service Helping.

Jeff Fast, FISH executive director, said the housing is always full. Families can stay up to two years while F.I.S.H. helps them reduce debt and save money for an apartment or house.

He said the city needs additional emergency shelter.

"I don't think we will ever eliminate homelessness, but it's a great step," Fast said.

Carson City had 73 people living on the street and 107 people living in motels, according to survey in January. That's down from 381 people living in motels and 168 people living on the street in January 2008.

Wolfe said she's not sure what caused the drop. At least five people come into her office every day looking for a place to stay, she said.

C.J. Manthe, chief operating officer of the Nevada Rural Housing Authority, said her agency has property near the corner of Highway 50 East and Fairview Drive that the city might be able to use for temporary housing.

The city definitely needs more temporary housing, she said, but it will be a challenge to find the money to fund it.

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.