Long Delays at the Village on Sage Street and Hope Springs
Signups are reportedly still ongoing for the $400 “Village on Sage Street” dorms. The all-inclusive living space for applicants making at least $1,300 per month seems far from finished though at this point.
What about the new “tiny home village” planned right next to it? Articles had said “Hope Springs” as it’s being called would have their first residents by the end of 2018. Their webpage as seen below from a recent screengrab remains a call for private donations.
Much Touted Projects Extremely Slow to Become Reality while Displacing More
While there are glowing articles surrounding future projects when they are announced and buzzwords such as “village” and “tiny” to address the affordable housing crisis, the fight on blight, downtown decay and homelessness, which projects actually materialize? It seems matters are getting worse, not better, and that the pre-election sense of urgency is gone.
Jacobs Entertainment keeps trying to acquire more lots, even as some owners such as at the Gold ’N Silver Inn, the Desert Rose Inn or HBM Technology Partners, patiently wait for better offers.
In the absence of any new development or announcing plans, what Jacobs Entertainment has done so far is reduce the number of motel rooms, which many rely on when they can’t afford first and last month deposits, or pass credit checks, or don’t want to deal with utility and other bills.
We are still awaiting the grandiose Jacobs Entertainment development plan, which for now has led to many empty, dusty lots, with just some renovation inside the still standing former Crest Inn, but no indication yet on how much the new “Renova Flats” will go for. Photo by Jordan Blevins for Our Town Reno from inside a former Crest Inn room turning into the Renova Flats.
What about the Family Shelter Campus, Granny Flats and Reno Works?
What about the renovation of buildings at the Nevada Adult Mental Health Services campus in Sparks? The plan is to move homeless women and families there from the main homeless shelter on Record street, but a plan of that happening early this year now seems highly unlikely.
Meanwhile, long winded efforts failed last year to allow homeowners to build so-called granny flats or accessory dwelling units on 9,000 square feet or plus properties in most neighborhoods. A subsequent effort to not allow these backyard units in historic downtown neighborhoods, but to go ahead elsewhere also failed.
Finally, in October 2018, articles celebrated the 10th graduation of the Reno Works program, with reports that 65 people in all have graduated from the program since its inception. But is there follow through on how these 65 people are faring and if the program works? Have there been audits on how much money is spent on Reno Works and if it does work well? That would be an interesting study, but has it been conducted?
What is known as we begin 2019, is that there are many projects still unfulfilled, many lots turned to dust and a growing housing and shelter crisis.