Clark County community services director warns state bills and budget shortfalls could cut homelessness and disability supports

Vanessa Gaston, director of Clark County Community Services, told the Clark County Council during a work session that the department faces potential funding losses tied to pending state bills and a statewide shortfall in homelessness funding.

Gaston said Community Services has 34 staff, including four managers, and an annual 2024 budget of $73,400,000 funded by 38 federal, state and local sources. She said about $1.2 million of that budget comes from the County General Fund and that most other dollars are restricted grants and fees.

"We don't serve everybody," Gaston said, summarizing the department's focus on low-income, disabled and other vulnerable populations. She said roughly 85–86% of department funding is contracted out to local providers and that the department operates programs directly for youth.

Gaston warned of a significant shortfall in statewide homeless funding for the coming year, saying the shortfall would be "about $126.5 million," that counties collect roughly $50 million locally, and that Clark County's portion would be "about $3.5 million." She said the county's two largest shelters (Bertha 1 and Bertha 2) account for most of what the county spends on shelter.

Two sets of bills drew particular attention. Gaston identified House Bill 1158 and Senate Bill 5428 as measures affecting community inclusion funding for people with intellectual disabilities and said counties could lose substantial support if those bills are implemented. She also flagged House Bill 1397, which she described as proposing to move veterans, behavioral health and developmental disabilities levies from county general funds into the State General Fund. "If the state takes these funds and decides to use them different ways, some of our programs, especially the veterans, will be totally eliminated," she said.

Gaston also told the council that an executive order had frozen federal grants and assistance until at least Feb. 10, potentially affecting HUD and other federal payments. She said the department had drawn down some HUD dollars before the freeze and keeps three to four months of reserve funds to maintain staff payroll and provider payments during short disruptions.

On opioids, Gaston said Community Services manages the administrative contract for the opioid settlement—working with a contractor to provide dashboards and oversight—while Public Health takes the lead on other opioid-response work.

Councilors asked for more detailed materials during presentations and requested summaries they could share with the public about shelter locations and service levels in unincorporated areas. Gaston confirmed those materials are included in the meeting binder and thumb drive and said staff would share further detail with Jordan, the council's policy analyst, when more information is available or when the department needs a council letter of support.

The council's next steps included using the Monday 10 a.m. lobbyist meetings as the operative forum for fast-moving legislative items and following up with department staff for more detailed briefings. The work session was adjourned without objection and the council planned to reconvene for council time at 1 p.m.