Grant money slated for Historic Westside to help with affordable housing

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada’s Democratic senators on Tuesday announced $50 million in grant monies they say are earmarked for the Historic Westside area in Las Vegas.

Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) made the announcement in a news release. The money is expected to go toward new job training, child care, and community recreation centers, along with a community garden and a new grocery store.

It will also go to revitalize the aging Marble Manor Apartments, which have long been in need of improvements. There, officials say close to 400 new affordable housing units will go up, and existing buildings will be renovated.

Tashika Lawson was in the area on Tuesday. She doesn’t live on the Historic West Side, but she is helping her mother start a mailbox business there. She’s excited to see what’s development with the grant money.

“This is the historic heart of the black community in Las Vegas, so I want to know what’s going on in our community,” she said.

In a statement, Cortez Masto said investing in affordable housing initiatives is a priority of hers.

“Lowering housing costs is among Nevadans’ top concerns,” she said. “These funds will help more Nevada families afford their homes and make their neighborhoods safer.”

The grant money is from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and will flow through the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA), officials say.

In a statement, SNRHA executive director Lewis Jordan said “the residents of Marble Manor will greatly benefit” from what he called a “comprehensive redevelopment.”