Town hall set to discuss plan for homeless shelter
Town hall set to discuss plan for homeless shelter By Robin Hebrock Pahrump Valley Times October 18, 2024 - 7:00 am Plans to build a Transitional Housing and Nutrition Center in Pahrump may have many local residents riled up but the advisory committee heading the project is forging ahead nonetheless. Next week, the advisory committee, made up of more than 30 volunteers representing a variety of local sectors, will hold a Community Town Hall to provide an overview of the project and answer questions from the public. It’s an event that committee member Kathie McKenna acknowledged there may be some tense moments as those who oppose the plan speak out. However, she said the committee is not focused on the negativity but rather, on compassion. “These people are human beings,” McKenna stated. “But some treat these people horribly, just because they had something happen in their life that caused them to be homeless. And it makes me wonder, if the homeless here were all veterans, would those detractors look at them differently? Would they look at them differently if I told them that lady over there saved a five-year-old boy from drowning, or that man pulled a man out of a burning car? Would they look at them differently?” Every person’s situation is unique, McKenna stressed, and rather than ignoring or ridiculing those experiencing homelessness, she would like to see the community embrace the idea of helping them turn their lives around and regain stability. That’s the main purpose behind the Transitional Housing and Nutrition Center, which aims to provide separate housing wings for men, women, families, domestic violence victims and unaccompanied minors, along with meals served on site, a supermarket-style food bank and wellness services, such as mental health care, job placement, career development and life skills training. McKenna explained that the project comes as a result of the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill and the USDA Rural Partners Network. Nevada was one of 11 states selected for the Rural Partners Network’s focus, with several Silver State counties chosen as sites for potential projects, including Nye County. “Because of Nye County’s size, they decided they were going to do two projects here, one in the north and one in the south. The one in the north is the new childcare center in Tonopah,” McKenna said. “Here in the southern part of the county, a bunch of nonprofits got together to discuss what we would like to see. After a series of long discussions, the USDA Rural Partners Network chose the shelter for their signature project for Southern Nevada. “And just so everyone understands, there has been no money allocated,” McKenna noted. “That is a rumor that was completely and totally made up. There is no money allocated. So how is it going to be paid for? Grants. The vast majority of people here do not understand grants. Where do grants come from? They come from your federal tax dollars, which get allocated to the states.” Before grants can be secured, however, there are some key steps to undertake first. Land must be acquired and the committee has already been given three options to review by the Bureau of Land Management. “We’re looking at doing probably roughly 40 acres, which will allow us to do not only the homeless shelter but to also look down the road to working with affordable housing builders, so we can help these individuals transition from homeless into housed,” McKenna said. She also underscored the intention of “affordable housing”, remarking, “It allows the clients to pay rent based on their actual income. They pay 30 percent of their income on rent. Everybody thinks affordable housing means it’s going to be free or all Section 8 or like a slum, but it’s not. It’s pay-based rent so that people can actually afford to have a home.” There is little doubt that members of the community will want to have their say as the project moves forward, too, which is why there will be two town halls held, beginning with next week’s gathering. “I want this to be a calm, rational meeting,” McKenna added. “I’m OK if people don’t agree but I want to hear the rationalization behind it. Because we may be able to address their concerns.” The town hall meeting will take place Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Valley Electric Conference Center, 800 E. Highway 372. A second meeting is slated for Wednesday, Nov. 20 at the same time and location. Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
Why Did More People Decide To Sell Their Homes Recently?
Why Did More People Decide To Sell Their Homes Recently? Homeowners typically slow down their moving plans as the summer months wrap up, and as a result, fewer homes are listed for sale in the fall. It’s a predictable, seasonal trend in real estate. But this year, mortgage rates came down at the same time the number of homes on the market usually starts to decline. So, what happened? More homeowners decided to sell, so more homes came to the market. The most recent data from Realtor.com reveals that in September, the number of homes put up for sale increased by 11.6% compared to this time last year. As the green circle in the graph below shows, the typical September decline in homes coming to the market didn’t happen – that number actually went up (see graph below): Ralph McLaughlin, Senior Economist at Realtor.com, explains why there was an unseasonable rise: “This sharp increase is largely due to the decline in mortgage rates in mid-August, enticing homeowners to sell.” So, as rates came down at the end of the summer, more people jumped into the market and decided to make their move. What Does This Mean If You’re Looking To Buy a Home? It means more fresh options to choose from than you’ve had in a while – not the ones that have been sitting around, unsold. But keep in mind, mortgage rates have been volatile lately, ticking up slightly in recent weeks, which could limit the number of people who feel comfortable with the idea of selling in the months ahead. And in this market, it’s mortgage rates that are largely driving homeowner decisions. Why Buy Now, Rather Than Wait? Whether you're looking for a starter home, an upgrade, or hoping to downsize, you have more homes to choose from right now. And if you can find what you’re looking for, know that these new, fresh options won’t be on the market forever. So, staying on top of what’s available in your local area with a trusted agent is key. And remember, one month doesn’t make a trend. So, what does that mean going forward? Whether more homeowners than normal continue to put their houses on the market will largely depend on what happens with mortgage rates and the economic factors that impact them, like inflation, employment, and the reactions by the Federal Reserve. With that in mind, now might be your moment, while more homes are available – if you’re ready, willing, and able to buy this fall. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains: “The rise in inventory – and, more technically, the accompanying months’ supply – implies home buyers are in a much-improved position to find the right home and at more favorable prices.” Bottom Line As rates came down at the end of the summer, sellers started to trickle back into the market, which means buyers have more choices right now. Let’s connect to make sure you have a trusted advisor to help you navigate the new options before they’re all scooped up.
Downtown envisioned for Pahrump — how it’s coming together
Downtown envisioned for Pahrump — how it’s coming together Robin Hebrock/Pahrump Valley Times Pahrump Valley Main Street has designated the stretch of Highway 160 from Calvada Blvd. to just past Basin Avenue as the area's "downtown", where the focus of the group's revitalization and beautification efforts will start. By Robin Hebrock Pahrump Valley Times August 27, 2024 - 2:11 pm In 2017, the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) established Nevada Main Street and the program has quickly grown to include more than two dozen active Main Street organizations all across the state, the newest of which is launching right here in Pahrump. “Being part of this program, it’s so valuable,” Donna Corey told the Pahrump Valley Times. “Particularly for the rural areas of the state. Through this program, members can have access to some funding, to some training, to a strong format by which they can help the businesses that exist to improve the look and the feel of their downtown areas.” Corey is the assistant executive director of Southwest Central Regional Economic Development Authority (SWCREDA), which falls under GOED. As such, it is part of Corey’s mandate to assist with creating the local Main Street organization. She is now a member of the newly formed Pahrump Valley Main Street Board of Directors, along with SWCREDA President Roy Mankins, Great Basin College Pahrump Director Chris Salute, community activist Dr. Tom Waters and town of Pahrump tourism director Arlette Ledbetter. Acting as a liaison of sorts for the board is Jaynee Reeves, who works as an administrative secretary for the county and town. Selected as the director for Pahrump Valley Main Street is Karen McHale, a real estate agent with a background that includes accounting. She’s also a retired engineer who worked in construction project management for many years. “So I know how to estimate everything, how to put the projects together. If we need permits or anything like that, I know how to do all of that,” McHale said. Now that the organization’s by-laws have been written and its nonprofit paperwork filed, the board can get down to the business of picking projects to pursue. They’ll be starting with small initiatives, mainly aimed at beautification, McHale explained. As it stands today, Pahrump doesn’t have a formal “downtown” area and that’s something Pahrump Valley Main Street aims to change. “We’ve designated a ‘downtown’ and we’ll begin to work to give it that feel, as much as we can,” Corey explained, noting that the stretch of Highway 160 from Calvada Blvd. to just past Basin Avenue has been selected for Pahrump Valley Main Street’s focus. The group is also eyeing the stretch of Calvada Blvd. from Highway 160 to Pahrump Valley Blvd. as a possible future arts district and looks to include businesses along Highway 372 in its efforts, too. “There’s been a lot of brainstorming and we have a long list of things we could do, so we’re going to pick a few small things to focus on first. We’ll then have to develop those out. We need to figure out what we need, how much it’s going to cost, who is involved - is it county, is it NDOT, is it private? — and then we have to get funding,” McHale added. The Nevada Main Street program offers its own funding opportunities, with $663,000 awarded to 16 different Main Street organizations this year alone. That allotment included almost $50,000 for Tonopah Main Street for downtown park storefront improvements. McHale said she intends to apply for Nevada Main Street funds in the 2025 grant cycle but she’ll be looking into much more than just this. “We can also go after all kinds of other grants,” McHale, who has grant writing experience, remarked. “So I’ll be going out there to see what other funds we can pull in as well.” The domain name for the pending website PahrumpValleyMainStreet.org has been secured and the board will be holding formal meetings once a month moving forward. McHale noted that board intends to work closely with as many local partners as it can to achieve the greatest outcome for the community. For more complex projects, the board will also be forming sub-committees that will offer a chance for local stakeholders to get directly involved. For more information on Pahrump Valley Main Street contact Corey at Corey.SWCREDA@gmail.com More on the state program can be found at GOED.NV.gov Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com Nevada Main Street projects funded in 2024 The Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development was excited to announce that nearly two dozen projects were funded under the Nevada Main Street program in 2024, with at least one project in each of the 16 communities that applied. Awardees included: • Downtown Reno Urban Main Street: multi-purpose Main Street clean fleet - $45,442 • Eureka Main Street: downtown sign project and downtown art installations - $18,734 • Main Street Fernley:, Main Street Park high visibility crosswalks - $28,000 • Goldfield Main Street: Goldfield town square, Goldfield Gazette, and Goldfield town square fence - $32,901 • Hawthorne Main Street: The Plaza on Main Street - $49,353 • Jackson Street Alliance: modular office project – $50,000 • Main Street Boulder City: historic landmark installation - $38,000 • Main Street Gardnerville: façade improvement grant program, Heritage Park gardens, and open-air market - $50,000 • Main Street Winnemucca: Winnemucca mural and music festival - $50,000 • Mesquite Opportunities Regional Fund: Mesquite Corridor plan - $33,800 • MidTown Reno: MidTown welcome center – $45,000 • Moapa Valley Revitalization Project/Moapa Valley Main Street: St. Thomas Historic Community Garden - $50,000 • Tonopah Main Street: Downtown Park, storefront improvement grant - $49,722 • Virginia City Main Street: website development, and community engagement program - $22,000 • Wells Main Street: complete Main Street retail center - $50,000 • White Pine Main Street: façade improvement program - $50,000
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