Homeless in Nevada is Not a Country Song - It's a Real Problem

From drug addicts to families, people are living at their lowest point - on the streets

Homeless tents near downtown Reno.Photo byTrevor Bexon

I have been without a home before but that was because my wife kicked me out of the house for a night. (We were young) But on a serious note, I cannot imagine being homeless and without an address.

I moved up from Las Vegas to Reno in the fall of 1996. My wife and I were professional dancers in the City of Sin and decided to relocate to the cooler climate of Northern Nevada.

In all this time, the Reno/Sparks area I knew was always clean (as clean as any city can be) and homeless people were there but isolated in out-of-the-way places and not so much in our faces.

Those days are gone!

Homeless people with makeshift tents and their trash lining the Truckee River in Reno, NVPhoto byTrevor Bexon

Makeshift tents are popping up everywhere, making our byways and highways - parks and recreational areas - streets and parking lots filthy, unsafe, and an eyesore to look at.

My first thought when seeing this onslaught of tents in all the wrong places was these encampments, big or small, all appear dirty.

There is always a negative effect on the environment wherever they camp because the infrastructure is not set up for their permanence i.e., toilets and trash removal, making it very unsanitary.

However, what I have learned, is that there are many reasons why people are taking it to the streets these days.

The first thoughts of the homeless are alcoholics and drug addicts, along with the mentally and physically disabled. Yet, you would find that these people are just a small portion living in tents and under bridges.

What I now know is that there is a hidden culture within a culture when it comes to being homeless. We look at these people as one group but in reality, there are many different groups living around and within each other.

I used to own a ballroom dance studio in Reno, Nevada, and behind our school was an alley. In that alley lived a very gentle gentleman named Henry.

He had been living on the streets for about 15 years, ever since his father died. He was in his late 40s or early 50s (I guess). When he was young he was injured in an accident injuring him severely and killing his mother.

He had suffered a brain injury and had a hard time taking care of himself. But as Henry would say when asked how he was doing, "I'm doing alright, better than most." that was his standard answer.

His father was his caretaker for many years but he was poor and when he died Henry was left alone. The state tried to help but soon enough, Henry was forgotten and released to fend for himself.

Behind our school and in the alley was his safe place and he was welcome to it.

Every Saturday night our studio would have a social dance class and party. I always provided coffee, a Sherbert punch, and snacks of all kinds. Henry was always invited to get a plate of goodies for himself and something to drink.

We became friends of a sort but I always think back to those days with Henry parked outside our school, knowing he would probably live his life this way until his death. Henry was great a person and lived there without causing any disruption or harm, eking out an existence in loneliness.

However, I also think about what my opinion might have been if the entire alley had been lined with homeless people. I think my tune would be much different, especially from a businessman's point of view.

Even though I now know that the homeless are made up of all types.

Just so you know, the people out on the streets today range from:

• Drug Addicts
• Alcoholics
• Families who are unable to find affordable housing and able to raise the initial move-in costs.
• Runaway Kids
• Young girls who are pregnant and on the streets for various reasons.
• US Military Veterans and some with severe disorders often due to combat.
• Mentally Disabled
• Physically Handicapped

What to do about a problem that is only getting bigger? The QOL (Quality of Life) Reno, are residents trying to find solutions primarily from a resident's point of view.

QOL organized a Riverfront Walking Tour 1000, wanting to draw attention to the awful conditions in those areas along the Truckee River.

Comment by Reno resident:

Trevor Bexon with This is Reno.com, Interviewed Reno resident, Adam Guber. Guber said that he felt unsafe coming to this section of the river to fish with his son because of human waste, drug needles, and people with mental health issues who are roaming around in public.

“We can’t enjoy the river anymore. I came out today to get the facts and see how we can help,” Guber said. “In years past I was fishing and it was great. We felt safe and didn’t have to worry and now I believe these pictures are worth a thousand words. Reno Resident, Adam Guber

This tour allowed members of the community to witness firsthand the homeless currently living there and to raise awareness about the negative living conditions.

Negative effects include:

• Human waste
• Garbage
• Toxic Waste
• Drug Paraphanila Waste
• Crime
• Violence

Largest Homeless encampment in Reno after being dismantled.Photo byKUNR

Along with living on the streets are people dying on them too. We had the highest number of deaths among the homeless in 2023 in Reno, according to Washoe County records.

Homeless Deaths since 2016:

• 2016 - 22
• 2017- 27
• 2018 - 37
• 2019 - 38
• 2020 - 49
• 2021 - 54
• 2022 - 96
• 2023 - 135

In many states, the problem has festered into a serious epidemic, with California at the top. Nevada is one of those states as well with Reno and Las Vegas at the top of the cities in America being steam-rolled by the homelessness juggernaut.

Anne Davis, with National Public Radio, wrote an article recently about Southern Nevada and its homeless issue as well.

She said, "The number of unhoused individuals in Southern Nevada has reached a 13-year high. - That’s according to the results of Clark County’s annual homeless count, released Wednesday."

Even though the federal government has sent Nevada $44 million - with Reno receiving $3.5 million of the money - for an affordable housing and homelessness program.

However, I believe it will take more than money to remedy this beast of a problem. This is where the solutions need to be created by a tribe that is caring and not condemning.

Judge not, lest ye be judged!

That's my opinion-

Peace, Love, and Unconditional Happiness!

References:

This is Reno - Residents tour homeless camps along Truckee River (thisisreno.com)

AP News - Reno homeless population on street nearly doubles in a year | AP News

News 4 - Reno receiving $3.5 million in federal funds to tackle affordable housing and homelessness (mynews4.com)

I'm Done! Branded art by H Mikel FeilenPhoto byH. Mikel Feilen