Las Vegas underground tunnel project pushes unhoused onto street

By James Schaeffer

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A $15 million tunnel project is pushing unlawful underground residents onto Las Vegas streets and neighbors are asking for solutions.

During a Monday meeting at the Clark County Library, Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom addressed neighbors’ and business owners’ concerns regarding the recent project and its impact on the unhoused situation.

“This problem did not happen overnight, it’s not going to go away overnight,” Segerblom said. “It takes people like you to articulate the problem and stand up.”

Around 30 people attended and detailed several incidents and dangerous encounters they connected to the problems with mentally unwell people.

“I’ve had my house broken into,” Brenda Wilda, a 36-year Las Vegas neighbor, said. “I’ve walked out front and had a man fully exposed in front of my house. I was on hold [with police] for three hours.”

Wilda said she and her younger neighbors rally to protect the senior citizens living on their streets out of fear of a fatal encounter.

“Every time they clean out the wash, there’s more crime in our neighborhood,” she said.

Segerblom brought resources in for the neighbors, which included county code enforcement, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and Clark County Flood Control.

“The truth is, there were a ton of people in there that are not in there,” he said. “So where do they go? That’s what we’re trying to deal with right now.”

Multiple residents were told they would have follow-up visits with police or county officials. 8 News Now will be following up with neighbors to see how those problems are addressed.