UPDATE: Thanks to your support, JBJSF was able to unlock their match grant of $100k to contribute to the NPHY Housing Expansion Campaign in Southern Nevada. We ask that you work together to raise from 68% to 100% of our overall goal and help us make a difference.
New Campaign Will Support Additional Beds for Homeless and At-Risk Youth, Addressing a Key Strategy Outlined in the Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness
LAS VEGAS, February 20, 2019 – Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth today launched a Housing Expansion Campaign to generate funds for a new facility that will provide much-needed beds for homeless youth in Southern Nevada, and announced a $100,000 seed investment from Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) through Sands Cares. As a committed partner in the fight to end youth homelessness, Sands reached out to the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation to join the effort, marking the Soul Foundation’s first charitable investment in Southern Nevada.
NPHY aims to raise $500,000 through the Housing Expansion Campaign and will use funds to purchase and develop a new multi-family property to flexibly house homeless and at-risk youth. Beyond the seed investment from Sands Cares, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation is pledging to match additional donations dollar for dollar, up to $100,000, to inspire the Las Vegas community to take action and help our region’s most vulnerable population.
“For a homeless youth, having a bed means more than just a place to sleep — it’s their foundation for a brighter future,” said Arash Ghafoori, executive director of NPHY. “Today, our community only has enough youth-dedicated beds to serve less than 22 percent of the young people experiencing homelessness on a given night in Southern Nevada. Expanding NPHY’s housing inventory means more youth not only have a place to sleep, they have the safety, stability, and support needed to grow and thrive.”
The NPHY Housing Expansion Campaign is targeting major gifts from corporations and foundations, and the community can also make significant impact by donating online at www.nphy.org/aplacetosleep.
“The high rate of youth homelessness and the dire need for housing in Southern Nevada was distressing to us,” said Jon Bon Jovi, Board Chairman of the JBJ Soul Foundation. “We are pledging support for this campaign through a matching grant because we want to motivate others to take action. Together, we can give homeless youth more than just a place to sleep – we will provide them with the resources they need for self-sufficiency and success.”
Since 2006, the JBJ Soul Foundation has worked to break the cycle of hunger, poverty and homelessness through developing partnerships, creating programs and providing grant funding to support innovative community benefit organizations. The foundation has helped provide funding for more than 600 units of affordable and supportive housing in 10 states for thousands of people including youth and veterans.
“We knew that getting the JBJ Soul Foundation involved in Southern Nevada would be a great catalyst for our community, having seen the amazing results they have accomplished in other parts of the country,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs at Las Vegas Sands. “We hope to see a big community rally around the campaign momentum started by the JBJ Soul Foundation and Sands Cares. It’s imperative that we give our community’s vulnerable youth a fresh start.”
The new housing facility will add significant capacity to an already under-resourced support system for homeless youth in Southern Nevada. NPHY’s planned multi-family property will not only provide beds for youth, but also a foundation for delivering a myriad of services to put homeless youth on a pathway to self-sufficiency. Youth in NPHY’s housing programs also receive wraparound support services, including one-on-one case management with a licensed social worker, life skills classes, therapy, workforce readiness training, educational counseling, transportation assistance, enrichment opportunities, and referrals to a wide range of community resources.
The NPHY Housing Expansion Campaign comes in direct response to the recently released Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness, which mapped out a strategy of increasing housing through innovative funding partnerships such as this one. Unveiled at the second annual Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit, presented by NPHY and Sands Cares in November 2018, the plan addressed the alarming youth homelessness statistics that plague this region. Clark County’s metro area ranks fifth in the nation for the rate of unaccompanied homeless youth living on the streets or in shelters and the state of Nevada has the nation’s highest rate of unsheltered homeless youth, according to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. Underscoring these numbers, Las Vegas was named the worst U.S. metropolitan area for providing affordable rental housing for its poorest families in 2018, with only 15 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 low-income renter households.
To learn more about NPHY’s capital campaign or make a campaign pledge, visit www.nphy.org/aplacetosleep.
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Contacts:
Lanette Rivera
Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth lanette@nphy.org
702-688-1013
Kristin Koca
Las Vegas Sands Corp. Kristin.Koca@sands.com
702-414-3218
Lauren Brajer
JBJ Soul Foundation lauren@jbjsoulfoundation.org
973-580-1575
