Nevada is currently running from housing headline to housing headline, with the anticipated increase in evictions, landlords unable to pay their bills, record home prices in Las Vegas/Reno, no available inventory, record high rents and prices continuing to increase. As Nevadans grapple with a recovery in peril, stable housing continues to elude many of us. Even if it seems you are not personally affected by these issues, housing insecurity in Nevada is your concern, too, as it impacts our core community workers from teachers to public safety officers to frontline health workers. Will our children be able to build their families and careers in the state we love? Your vested interest in the state’s housing needs can help empower Nevada’s congressional delegation to support housing opportunities that benefit all Nevadans. 

The National Low Income Housing Coalition just released their 2021 Out of Reach Report that ranked Nevada 22^nd in the country for the highest state housing wage of $21.83 per hour. This housing wage is based on a Fair Market Rent calculation of $1,135 per month. A full-time worker at minimum wage would have to work 90 hours per week to afford this. And while this seems already unreasonable, it brings us back to our reality. Do you know of any two-bedroom apartments, especially in any of our metro areas, for that price? According to the most recent data from Apartment List, the median rent for a 2-bedroom in Reno is $1,445 and in Las Vegas is $1,364. Compared to the average rent for a 2-bedroom only one year ago, $1,202 in Reno and $1,137 in Las Vegas, prices have increased 20 percent. 

If you think a two-bedroom apartment is more than some people need, there is another way of looking at affordability and that is to look at the rent that is affordable at income levels. For a full-time job paying minimum wage, the rent that is affordable is $507 per month. And if you are a Social Security recipient, you can only afford $249 per month. Do you know of any studios or one-bedroom apartments at these rates?

What do all these numbers mean? It means that too many Nevadans are paying too much in their housing costs, which makes them at high risk of losing their home in any crisis, let alone a pandemic. It means that too many Nevadans are not seeking the health care they need, both physical and mental. They are paying the bulk of their income on their housing. Too many hard-working Nevadans are unable to take advantage of any opportunities, even as our workforce opportunities grow, because they can’t even keep their lights on, or gas in their car. 

How many is too many? According to the 2021 GAP Report from National Low Income Housing Coalition, of our 476,997 renter households, nearly half of our renter households cannot afford their housing and pay more than 30% of their income on rent. For our very low-income Nevadans, our minimum wage workers and more vulnerable populations, 84.9 percent to 92.4 percent of these households cannot afford their housing. 

And if none of those statistics move you, what about our children? According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 17,180 Nevada children live in unstable housing. As a result, they may not be getting the health care they need, have enough food, or have access to electronic devices or internet. Most importantly, they are one financial shock away from risk of homelessness.

The Nevada Housing Coalition is working hard to push our state to maximize the current aid that has come in housing and housing assistance, but we need more resources for lasting impacts and a more equitable recovery. We strongly urge our Nevada congressional delegation to support Nevada’s housing needs with the current negotiations and opportunities around expanding rental assistance to every eligible household, investing in our public housing, and investing in our National Housing Trust Fund. We have existing infrastructure in Nevada to deploy these additional resources timely and effectively to make a meaningful difference.  

Nevada’s severe affordable housing shortage is hindering our successful recovery from the pandemic and our ultimate future prosperity. We want to recognize the unprecedented emergency rental assistance and other pandemic related relief for some housing and homelessness priorities. However, housing is infrastructure, so we urge that Congress act now to secure additional housing investments that will have long-lasting impacts. 

Christine Hess is the executive director of the Nevada Housing Coalition, a statewide, member-based nonprofit working to promote and advance affordable housing.