As Reno Changes, Many of Its Residents Feel Left Behind
The shadow of Reno’s famous BELIEVE sculpture hovers over Bill O’Keefe and Jaime Layman, a married couple of nine years. Looking up at the Burning Man art, its letters beginning to rust over, Bill and Jaime struggle to follow its message. Belief in Reno is difficult for those who have been left behind during the city’s current change.
Reno’s city government has proudly announced its “rebranding” over the past decade. A website for downtown Reno boasts about the “downtown makeover” the city is experiencing. The website invites families to experience the “rejuvenated community”. Worn down apartment buildings and motels have been torn apart to make room for high-rise apartments, pricey hotels, and expensive bars. Lost in the fray are struggling couples like Bill and Jaime who feel they have no place in the “new” Reno.
The block letter sculpture spanning 70 feet is located at the corner of First Street and Virginia Street, where the historic Mapes Hotel used to be, before its destruction in 2000. The spot was then used for a while for ice skating during the winter, and is now a favorite area for skateboarders and tourists taking photos.
A Steady Paycheck With Little to Show For It
Jaime, a Carson City native, and Bill, who moved to the area in 1983, have seen the city change firsthand. They’re more than just observers, the couple have felt the sting of skyrocketing rents and disappearing opportunities to find subsidized housing.
“We have so many homeless people”, Jaime says, though she points out that it’s not for lack of effort or hard work. “A lot of people [work] and get checks”, she explains, “but they can’t afford the rent.”
Bill says he’s talked to city leadership about the growing problem. “I asked [them], ‘what are you going to do about all the people that are getting displaced?’ and you know what I heard? ‘We’re working on it”, he says. “I talked to [them] three years ago…You know what I’ve seen? Not a f—king thing. [The sculpture] don’t make me believe in them.”
Bill and Jaime know the struggle as well as anybody; Bill gets a steady paycheck but doesn’t bring enough money home to afford stable housing: “We’re on a fixed income but they got rid of all the housing. The cheap housing [is gone], and the wages have not caught up”, he says. With no other options and no affordable housing, Bill and Jaime make do with whatever they can to survive. “We stay in a tent”, Jaime says, “we can’t afford anything else.”
Crackers for Lunch, Crackers for Dinner
“I [can’t] get a paycheck because of my seizures,” Jaime explains. Additionally, she often cannot move around without a wheelchair, leaving her unable to work and unable to pay for medical treatment that could help her get healthy enough to find a job.
While she receives money from food stamps, the maximum EBT benefit for a single person is $194 a month. It’s far too low to adequately feed them both. “I get stamps, [Bill doesn’t] because of his check,” Jaime says. Food assistance is available for low income workers, but Bill is ineligible. “I make one dollar too much [to get stamps] …one dollar”, he says.
Crackers, chicken jerky, and Sriracha sit between them on their blanket; these small snacks make up many of their meals. Bill takes a moment and gathers his thoughts. “We can’t even afford food,” he begins. Looking up at the statue above them, he continues, “that kind of thing, you know, [not being able to afford food] …it makes it harder to believe. It brings you down.”