Clark County officials outline $2B general fund, major homelessness and housing investments

County Manager Kevin Schiller and Chief Financial Officer Jessica Colvin told the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs on Feb. 20 that Clark County’s general fund totals roughly $2 billion for fiscal year 2025 and that more than half of that fund is dedicated to public safety and related services.

Schiller and Colvin described a series of large investments the county has made and is planning to make to address homelessness and the shortage of affordable housing, including noncongregate care, navigation centers, master leasing and a community housing fund.

The county’s revenue mix is highly dependent on consolidated tax receipts and property tax: “42.5% of our revenues are from consolidated tax revenues…followed by property taxes at 35%,” County Chief Financial Officer Jessica Colvin told the committee. She also said more than 50% of general‑fund expenditures are for public safety, including policing and the county detention center.

Why it matters: Clark County serves roughly 2.4 million residents and provides both regional and municipal services across an area comparable to New Jersey. Officials told lawmakers that the scale of need — and the county’s reliance on volatile revenue sources — shapes how they prioritize homelessness and housing programs.

Key homelessness and housing details - Fiscal 2024 direct client and supportive services: $220 million in rental, shelter, crisis stabilization, substance‑use treatment and navigation center services, the county reported. - Noncongregate care: County Manager Kevin Schiller said the county contracted roughly $252 million for noncongregate housing and related services beginning in 2020 (three‑year contracts), adding roughly 2,446 units across multiple facilities that give clients private rooms and on‑site services. - Navigation center: The county operates a navigation center that serves as an entry point and stabilization site; it sits near East Fremont Street and provides on‑site services and referrals to the continuum of care, Joanna Jacob, Clark County government affairs manager, said. - Community Housing Fund: The county invested roughly $177 million in a community housing fund to accelerate multifamily and homeownership projects, resulting so far in 20 developments with roughly 3,000 new multifamily units and rehabilitation of about 562 units to preserve affordability. - Permanent supportive housing: County officials reported three developments adding about 210 permanent supportive units targeted to households at 30–50% of area median income (AMI). - Homeownership projects: Two developments for construction were described as about 240 single‑family homes for households between 50–80% of AMI, with a groundbreaking planned in February.

Officials emphasized the stair‑step model used to describe the continuum — from prevention/diversion and emergency shelter to permanent supportive housing and homeownership — and said noncongregate care often serves as an early entry point because it combines privacy with on‑site supports.

Constraints and operational challenges Schiller told the committee the county’s ability to develop more affordable housing is limited by external processes for public land and infrastructure: large tracts of developable acreage often require approvals from the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a process he said can take two to three years. He also cited water and infrastructure availability as a constraint that slows projects that rely on BLM land transfers.

Colvin added that the county’s federal grant activity is substantial — she reported Clark County expended roughly $207 million in federal funds in FY24 and typically runs about $150 million per year in federal expenditures — and that the county has centralized a grants office to manage reporting and compliance for CARES, ARPA and other federal awards.

What officials said about outcomes and capacity Schiller said noncongregate facilities are “most of the time…completely full,” and that the county’s focus now is on increasing capacity in master leasing and permanent affordable units so that people can be moved out of crisis settings. He said average stays in noncongregate settings can be months and that moving clients through the continuum is a major operational priority.

Ending: County staff told the committee they will provide additional follow‑up materials as the Legislature requests greater detail about specific parcels, maps, funding breakdowns and average lengths of stay. County staff also invited lawmakers to tour the navigation center and other facilities.