LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A group of neighbors filed a lawsuit to halt the planned Campus for Hope project, calling for more studies to assess the impact on the area before construction starts.
Thursday morning, community members held a press conference near the proposed site at Jones Blvd. and Charleston Blvd.
The suit filed in District Court asks for a judge to issue an injunction “until all appropriate studies are conducted and disclosed to the local community,” the court filing states.
Neighbors are awaiting the date for the first court hearing.
Since late January, residents tell FOX5 that they have not gotten enough answers about their concerns surrounding the project. Concerned neighbors created a petition that garnered more than 1,000 signatures in person and online.
“I want to be very clear that this isn’t about anti-homeless… This is simply about the state proving to the citizens and the taxpayers of this community that this is the right location for this proposed campus,” said concerned resident Matthew Wambolt, whose name is in the suit.
“We’re just asking, have you proven the impact of the environment that this construction will have? No, you have not. Have you done a study to prove what kind of urban impact the development of this size will have? No, you have not. Have you studied the traffic pattern analysis during the construction? No. Why have those processes been skipped? If I wanted to build a casino here, you would ask me to do those same things,“ Wambolt said.
Neighbors have voiced concerns that the project will attract homeless encampments.
“In this area, how can we protect our students?” said Gail Johnson, a former school teacher, pointing out concerns for numerous schools around the area. “If you live in 89146, this is going to impact you and your child. There are over 20,000 students that go to the schools in this area,” Johnson said.
Earlier this year, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development approved the application for the 26-acre site Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services campus. Prior to the announcement, project officials told FOX5 that sites across the Valley were being considered.
The $200 million project has been in the works for years as a solution to the Las Vegas Valley homeless crisis.
In 2023,lawmakers passed AB528, providing $100 million to social services for the homeless. Las Vegas resort leaders helped spearhead the bill and promised to donate a contribution of around $100 million.
This spring, FOX5 did a one-on-one interview with the CEO of Campus for Hope: the CEO has been working to explain what a “transitional housing” model will look like, and how it differs from “emergency shelters.” The homeless cannot walk up and ask for a bed; they must be referred by social services, first.
“It’s built to look like and mimic a community. It looks like a college campus, you have kind of residential places, places for people, green spaces on the campus,” CEO Kim Jefferies said.
The suit named the City of Las Vegas, Councilman Brian Knudsen, Clark County, the Campus for Hope and the State of Nevada.
The Attorney General’s Office and Clark County said they could not provide comment on pending litigation.
The City of Las Vegas provided the following statement:
Campus for Hope provided the following statement:
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