As summer temperatures soar and local camping bans remain in effect, Las Vegas homelessness outreach programs are working around the clock to connect the city’s homeless population with vital resources and support services.

As summer temperatures soar and local camping bans remain in effect, dedicated outreach teams work around the clock to connect Las Vegas’ homeless population with vital resources.

The Multi-Agency Outreach Resource Engagement (MORE) Team has been bridging this critical gap for nearly a decade through a partnership between the city, law enforcement and nonprofits such as the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Vegas Stronger and West Care treatment and rehabilitation center.

The MORE teams offer comprehensive, personalized assistance based on individual circumstances. Services range from housing assessments and transportation to emergency shelters or the city’s Courtyard Homeless Resource Center, to helping people access essential services at locations like the Department of Motor Vehicles and Social Security Office.

It’s all dependent on the person’s situation and what they need, said Mario Guzman, homeless service specialist and MORE team coordinator for Las Vegas.

“Sometimes, our homeless community needs a little bit of assistance and a little bit of education of what services are out (there) for them to get themselves out of the situation they’re in,” Guzman said. “For homeless outreach teams to go out and provide this information and connect them to these services, I think is tremendously important. Everybody deserves a second chance, and everybody deserves to be treated like a human being and with dignity and respect.”

Daily outreach varies significantly based on demand. Teams may encounter anywhere from five to 30 people per day, responding to dispatches created by Guzman or calls from community members.

When individuals decline services, law enforcement steps in to encourage relocation of encampments. The city’s Department of Public Safety handles removal of the site and any remaining debris.

For Guzman, the mission goes beyond logistics — it’s deeply personal. Having experienced homelessness himself, he emphasizes that the most crucial element is treating people with dignity while ensuring they understand the full range of available services.

The team takes the mission seriously because “if it wasn’t for somebody to reach out to me and give me that helping hand … I don’t think I’d be in the position I’m in right now,” he said.

Homelessness has been on the rise in Southern Nevada over the past few years, according to the annual Point-in-Time Count. In January 2024, the last year of available data, 7,906 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night — a 20% increase from the 6,566 people counted in 2023.

Around 34% had reported being chronically homeless, meaning they have repeatedly experienced homelessness, while 703 said they were involved with substance abuse and 900 identified as living with mental health challenges.

Though most people counted were still homeless, the number of individuals in shelters increased by over 33% in 2024.

Experts said the increase in sheltered people is the result of efforts to expand emergency shelters and access to them. Clark County added 1,670 noncongregate shelter beds to its available stock, a 62% increase from 2023 to 2024.

Clark County has also been working to connect with the homeless community since enacting its encampment ban in February. The ban makes it illegal to lie down, sleep or store personal property in public places.

Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, whose district includes many of the encampments along Boulder Highway, proposed the ordinance that passed on a 6-1 vote — despite activists’ warnings that the region lacks adequate shelter capacity.

Segerblom recognizes the enforcement dilemma the policy brings. Housing a homeless person in county jail costs approximately $300 per night, an expense that would “bust the budget for the whole county” if arrests became commonplace.

“We can’t just give up,” Segerblom said. “We can’t arrest our way out of it … so we just have to be progressive. We’re all in this together, I guess is my point.”

Part of that effort is the Clark County CARE team that brings together social workers and Office of Public Safety members to engage individuals experiencing homelessness and connect them with resources.

While the team primarily serves homeless individuals in county parks, Clark County partners with HELP of Southern Nevada — a nonprofit assistance organization for unhoused people and families — to broaden their outreach throughout the region.

“This isn’t a one-and-done, or we’re just going to kind of see you a few times,” said Louis Lacey, director of homeless response teams at HELP of Southern Nevada at a town hall June 30. “We’ll work on the barriers that are keeping them in the cycle of homelessness.”

He said the goal was to get as many people as possible who “are willing to give us a chance to work with them, to accept services” and help them get out of their homeless situations.

When outreach efforts succeed, the transformations can be remarkable.

Since May, Lacey’s team has helped at least two individuals transition from the streets to stability. One man not only secured permanent supportive housing but has since found employment.

The team also connected with a young woman who had been living in the Flamingo Wash tunnels near a local park. She’s now in permanent supportive housing and close to landing a job.

However, both Lacey and Guzman acknowledge the inherent challenges in their work.

Some people decline all assistance, while others face barriers that complicate their path to housing or rehabilitation programs. Simple obstacles — like having pets that aren’t allowed in certain facilities — can prevent someone from accepting help.

Even on successful days, they consider themselves fortunate if they can connect and transport two out of every 10 people they encounter to housing services, Guzman said.

Yet the teams persist in their outreach efforts, eager to place those who accept services into housing without the constant concern about bed availability that once hampered their efforts.

For Guzman, this collaborative model — along with similar initiatives sprouting across Southern Nevada — offers genuine hope for reducing regional homelessness. As more organizations join the effort to help people connect with resources, he sees the potential for meaningful change.

“Everybody’s situation is different, and so, we try our best at what we do and we have very good success rates,” Guzman said. “I have very high hopes that added services for this community could bring positive outcomes.”

[email protected] / 702-948-7854 / @gracedarocha