After SCOTUS Decision, Clark County Considers Homeless Camping Ban

Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom  has introduced an agenda item to the upcoming October 1 meeting that discusses a potential ordinance for a homeless camping ban that would bar people from sleeping outside in tents or makeshift shelters on public sidewalks or in public spaces. .

Earlier this month, Clark County, in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), released their 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Homelessness Count report (see below) which reveals that the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 20 percent in one year and 47 percent in three years.

According to the report, 7,906 people experiencing homelessness were counted on a single night in January 2024. The number of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered increased from 3,569 in 2023 to 4,115 in 2024. The number of unsheltered individuals increased by seven percent, from 3,912 people in 2023 to 4,202 in 2024. The annual survey is conducted on a single day in the last ten days in January.

According to the data, Las Vegas ranks 11th in the nation for homelessness out of the 50 most populous cities in the nation, representing two percent of the homeless population in the United States. In comparison, New York City and Los Angeles account for over 50 percent of the homeless population in the US. Of the total population, a reported 11 percent of the adult population have a serious mental illness and 9 percent have a substance abuse disorder.

In 2019, the City of Las Vegas approved an ordinance that made sitting, resting or lodging on sidewalks a misdemeanor if shelter space is not available. Las Vegas is now considering strengthening that ban to include jail time or repeat offenders. The City of Henderson adopted an ordinance in 2023 that prohibited sleeping outdoors, sleeping in tents or cooking outdoors.

Segerblom told the Review Journal that he envisions an ordinance comparable to the one Las Vegas lawmakers are exploring strengthening, and that the county’s proposal is “tied” to the Supreme Court decision. “I think we need it,” Segerblom said about a proposed camping ban. “There are some people who honestly don’t want to seek services but are willing to comply with the law.”

In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Grant’s Pass decision provided local government with the greater ability to enact and enforce criminal penalties for public camping or sleeping, even in localities where there is limited local shelter space.

Democrats have had unilateral control of the county for over 20 years. Republican candidate Ryan Hamilton, who is challenging commissioner Michael Naft, told The Globe:

“Naft has had five years as a commissioner to implement a regional plan for homelessness and has failed to do so. Clark County has no regional plan to tackle homelessness. In 2020, Naft campaigned on solving homelessness and even raised taxes to try to accomplish that goal–and yet there are nearly 2,000 more homeless individuals on the streets now than when he was last elected. The number of homeless people who die on the streets has spiked 79 percent during his term as Commissioner. It’s clear he doesn’t have the ability to help manage this problem.”

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