Washoe County completed Phase 3 of the Nevada Cares Campus today with the opening of a 20,000-square-foot Welcome Center.
This is the final piece of new construction to house campus services other than supportive housing units that are still under construction. The 15-acre site now holds the emergency shelter, Safe Camp, Resource Center, Welcome Center, and a dining hall.
The Welcome Center includes intake and training areas, case management, therapy, and staff offices. It will also serve diversion efforts, which is a client-driven approach to help individuals find safe alternative housing immediately rather than staying on the street or entering the shelter.
Phase 3 also included the reconstruction of an existing building into a Resource Center. Numerous community groups and services have an on-site presence including Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Dept of Employment Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR), Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada, Northern Nevada Public Health, Veterans Administration and more.
The Nevada Cares Campus began as an emergency shelter large enough to accommodate social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, constructed by City of Reno in partnership with City of Sparks and Washoe County. The shelter originally housed approximately 600 bunk-style beds. Washoe County took over management of the campus in September 2021 and embarked on a four-phase development plan, with the original structure constituting Phase I.
Phase II brought the construction of permanent bathrooms, showers, and a laundry facility The emergency shelter was reconfigured into six dorms and sleeping areas that provide more privacy and independence.
The Welcome Center’s $18 million construction cost was paid for with federal funds secured by Nevada’s bipartisan congressional delegation and Washoe County SLFRF Funds. Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto provided certificates that were presented at the ribbon-cutting event, while Congressman Mark Amodei attended in person to offer a few words of support. Governor Joe Lombardo’s office also spoke on behalf of the project.
Phase 4 is a 50-unit supportive housing unit currently being built on the campus and expected to open in spring 2025. For information on Washoe County Housing and Homeless Services, visit www.washoecounty.gov/homeless/. Learn more about Washoe County’s approach to homelessness by watching the 2024 documentary “Home: Restoring Hope to Washoe’s Homeless.”
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