Residents sue over planned ‘Campus for Hope’ facility in Las Vegas

Two residents who live near the site of an approved housing and resource facility want to stop construction while officials conduct studies and consider alternate sites, according to a Clark County District Court lawsuit filed this week.

At issue is the $200 million “Campus for Hope” that is being equally funded by the state of Nevada and private entities, including Strip resorts.

The facility, planned for Charleston and Jones boulevards, will offer 900 beds, with social services, for housing insecure locals.

Clark County and the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas will pay for operational costs starting in 2027.

Officials have said prospective clients would be referred by navigation centers in each jurisdiction.

The lawsuit names Nevada, the county, Las Vegas, Councilman Brian Knudsen and the Campus for Hope nonprofit set up to develop the project as co-defendants.

Residents James Root and Matthew Wambolt were listed as plaintiffs.

“This project will dramatically alter the fundamental character of our neighborhood, transforming our quiet residential area into one marked by significantly increased congestion, activity, and potential crime,” the lawsuit said. “We believe this project will substantially lower property values and negatively impact the quality of life for local residents.”

The lawsuit alleges that the approval process lacked transparency.

“Throughout the application, approval, and implementation of the project enabled under the legislation, Campus for Hope leadership has met all the state and local requirements for the construction of the facility,” the nonprofit wrote in a statement. “We will continue to meet all those requirements, without exception.”

Las Vegas said its attorney’s office will defend the city and discuss the lawsuit with the co-defendants.

“There is a pressing need for additional temporary housing and services to help the unhoused community in Las Vegas to become healthy, housed and hired,” wrote a city spokesperson in a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Clark County and the office of the Nevada attorney general declined to comment.

‘Blindsided’

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants did not conduct studies that examined traffic, crime, quality of life and didn’t consider possible impacts to businesses, schools, churches and the elderly population.

“Local municipal authorities claim alternative locations were considered but have repeatedly refused to disclose any addresses, evaluation criteria, or comparative assessments that justify selecting our community as the ideal site,” Root wrote in an affidavit.

The project was approved during the 2023 Nevada Legislature. The lawsuit cites Assembly Bill 598 from the recent legislative session. That bill exempts Campus for Hope from oversight from the Nevada Public Works Division.

The law removes “any city-level permitting or inspection requirements and transferring complete control to state authorities,” Root added.

A statement released on behalf of the plaintiffs said Nevada violated open meeting laws and zoning procedures.

“Residents say they were blindsided by the announcement and feel betrayed by a process that ignored their voices,” the statement said.

‘Something that we can all be proud of’

Knudsen, who represents the residents, previously said he had considered the concerns.

“The city, the county, the state, the private sector (are) all actively working toward making this project something that we can all be proud of: Something that can be beneficial to those who are experiencing homelessness, their families, and beneficial to the surrounding area,” he said earlier this year.

The plaintiffs want a District Court judge to issue an injunction that prevents construction until the studies are conducted and shared publicly.

“Plaintiffs only ask for the State, City, and County to engage in transparency, including, but not limited to studies of alternate locations and offering transparency with the community prior to building this $200 million homeless center,” according to the lawsuit.

Added the complaint: “The Campus For Hope creates an Incurable Defect in the location of all homes, churches, schools and businesses within the proximity of the impact zone.”

The case hadn’t been assigned as of Thursday.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.