We’ve all heard of Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs and have probably seen the pyramid which has at its base our physiological needs of food, water, warmth and rest. This includes shelter or housing. That seems pretty straightforward doesn’t it, but we all know that homelessness and hunger are real issues that face most communities, big and small.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada (NHSSN) a local nonprofit that for more than 25 years has focused its efforts on all things housing. We offer nearly 150 units of affordable rental housing, provide pre-purchase housing counseling and education, down payment assistance programs for home purchase and acquisition, rehabilitation, and resale of homes to low-to-moderate income home buyers. While our goal is to be able to move a person from homeless to homeowner, we can’t do it alone; no one can.
No one service provider is able to address all the basic needs and supportive services that are needed to move a person from homeless to homeownership. But, there is strength in numbers and working together we can begin to tackle some of the issues facing homeless persons. “Housing first” may be a term that you have heard of or are familiar with. At its most basic it is the concept of moving people into shelter to provide stability first and then addressing their next most pressing needs which may include mental health and/or substance abuse issues.
NHSSN is part of the Community Partnership for Opening Doors (CPOD) which is a group of more than 30 local nonprofits that offer disparate services but come together to meet the needs of the homeless community to provide safe, stable housing and supportive services to gain self-sufficiency. NHSSN’s role is to provide housing while other agencies including Family Promise, US Vets, Catholic Charities, The Shade Tree, and the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth provide case management and supportive services. This effort is a great start, but there is more that can be done by partnering with agencies that offer mental health and treatment services. Safe, stable housing is important, but without the mental health and treatment components how long is that housing going to last? Please reach out to your local area nonprofit providers and learn what you can do to help move people from homeless to homeowner, because no one can do alone.