Las Vegas presents SHIFT housing programs for seniors, from lead abatements to Knox lockbox pilot

Pat Petri, neighborhood services manager in the city's Department of Neighborhood Services, told the Senior Citizens Advisory Board on April 2 that the department's SHIFT program (Safe Home Improvements Funding and Training) bundles several housing programs aimed at preserving safe, affordable housing for older residents.

"The goal of the program is just to create lead safe and healthy housing in Las Vegas and reduce childhood lead poisoning," Petri said, describing a lead-based paint abatement grant administered through the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (HUD) and a recently awarded follow-up grant that Petri said will allow the program to continue through 2029. Petri said the housing rehabilitation program covers major system repairs and accessibility work and provides up to $24,999 per home.

Petri also described a new older-adult home modification program for residents 62 and older that uses a contracted occupational therapist to assess accessibility needs (ramps, grab bars, lighting, lowered cabinets) and then engages city-registered contractors to perform the recommended work. Contractors must be registered vendors with the city purchasing system; Petri said the department solicits three competitive bids for work and may accept resident-preferred, vetted contractors when appropriate.

The SHIFT suite includes a drip (leak) repair program run in partnership with the Las Vegas Valley Water District to fix active water leaks for eligible households (supply-side repairs only), and a code enforcement assistance stream that provides grant funding to help owner-occupied properties remedy violations. Petri said most SHIFT programs are federally funded and subject to Area Median Income (AMI) limits: housing rehab, lead abatement, drip repair and older-adult mods are generally set at 80% AMI while the code enforcement assistance program is set at 120% AMI.

Petri described a Ward 4 Knox lockbox pilot that places a secured box containing a key or door code at a home so first responders can access the residence during emergencies. She said Clark County and the city contributed funding for the pilot and that expansion depends on securing additional resources. Board members who had participated in earlier rollouts said crews verify that a key works before installation and that residents may place notes in the box indicating pets or other special instructions to guide responders.

Petri encouraged residents and contractors to contact the SHIFT team for eligibility questions and procurement guidance and said staff will include full contact details in the presentation materials provided to the board. "If they do have questions, there is other ways to get those Knox boxes," Petri said, and reiterated that staff can help residents apply for programs and navigate vendor registration.