Imagine a pregnancy that lasts five years. Then you'll understand why Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley beamed as she looked at the fruits of her labors.

The kernel of an idea from five years ago had finally become bricks and mortar. Nevada's first nonprofit assisted care residence for low-income seniors was a reality, touted as the first of its kind in the United States, because it used free federal land, Medicaid reimbursements and was financed with the help of tax credits.

Silver Sky Assisted Living Residence is a true public-private partnership, and Tuesday was the day to publicly show off the project and share the credit with the dozens of groups who made it happen.

The 90 apartments are just one-third filled now as administrators screen would-be residents, checking that their income is less than $24,780 for one person and less than $28,320 for a couple, and checking that they need assisted care.

"This is the first step on a journey," said Buckley, who envisions 50 nonprofit assisted care residences like Silver Sky dotting the state because the need is so obvious. Right now, another is planned in Las Vegas, and a third is likely to be proposed in Northern Nevada.

Once you have a model that works, the next time birthing that baby goes a lot easier.

There was a lot of back-patting Tuesday for those who worked so hard to make Silver Sky a reality. U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., was praised for getting the land from the Bureau of Land Management for the two sites in Las Vegas. This marks the first time the BLM has provided free land for affordable assisted care housing.

Harrah's Entertainment was lauded for its early $800,000 in seed money -- a commitment that showed the company felt this was a worthwhile project. The city of Las Vegas awarded a $1 million federal grant to the project and donated staff time. State and federal government tax credits made it doable for the contractor, Nevada HAND.

AARP was thanked for being in the planning process and bringing its expertise to the table and for being the first to say there is a need. More than a fourth of Nevada's seniors older than 75 live in households with incomes less than $15,000 a year.

And the senior population is growing fast. In the past decade, Nevada's 85 and older crowd has increased 128 percent, three times the national average.

In a world where politicians vie for credit, Reid was gracious, using a mix of sports analogies, comparing the effort to a soccer team working together before describing Buckley as the quarterback. "Barbara Buckley works with poor people, that's what she's chosen to do," he said, referring to her job as executive director of Clark County Legal Services. "Her heart, together with her wonderful mind, is shown here," he said.

In the funniest thank you, Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Wolfson admitted that he really didn't have that much to do with it because it was started before he was elected and that city staff did the heavy lifting. "Congratulations to those who did all the work. I want to thank you for making me look good," he said.

Free land lowered the cost, and federal Medicaid and Social Security payments will help residents pay their rent. Rents at Silver Sky are on a sliding scale according to income, but the maximum would be $2,099 a month. Nevada taxpayers do not subsidize operating costs.

For-profit homes charge an average of $3,500 to $4,000 a month for assisted home care and are not eager to build residences for low-income seniors.

Silver Sky is living proof that, yes, government can work for the public, that public-private partnerships can succeed, that city, state, and federal governments can coordinate rather than bicker, that the whole vision thing can become a reality when the right people work together.

In this political season, when it seems to be all about winning, losing and polls, it's good to be reminded that there exist political victories that aren't election victories, but the victory of accomplishments after the election.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0275.