The city of Reno and a local advocacy group are still on the search for a new spot for an overflow homeless shelter.
Volunteers of Northern Nevada closed its overflow shelter in February after vandals damaged it to the point where it was uninhabitable.
The group continues looking for a replacement space to house more than 100 chronically homeless people in Reno. They had found a building that would fit their needs but neighbors objected to having a homeless shelter nearby.
Sandy Isham, the Senior Development & Community Relations Officer for Volunteers of America Northern California & Northern Nevada, told KNPR's State of Nevada that the homeless shelters in Reno provide shelter for about 300 people already, but the overflow shelter originally started with a different need in mind.
"The overflow program began really as our community's effort to make sure we don't have any homeless people out on the streets during the winter," Isham said.
Isham said that shelter has now morphed into a year-round effort to help the homeless and move them into regular shelters where they can get more help.
She said, "ignoring homelessness is very expensive, but stabilizing people and helping them live independently is actually a great investment on your community."
Sandy Isham, Senior Development & Community Relations Officer, Volunteers of America Northern California & Northern Nevada