Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth receives $300,000 contribution from Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corporation donated $300,000 on Wednesday to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) through its Sands Cares global community engagement program. This exceptionally significant donation marks the company's ongoing commitment to addressing youth homelessness in Las Vegas.
NPHY, a key recipient of Sands' community engagement efforts since 2014, has received over $2.9 million in funding from the corporation. In a statement, NPHY CEO Arash Ghafoori highlighted the role Sands has played in the organization's growth and transformation, citing a decade of support through both funding and strategic involvement.
Sands' support addresses three core priorities: providing immediate aid, building lasting solutions, and fueling advocacy and awareness initiatives. This year's contribution will:
- Fund emergency shelter, housing programs, and outreach efforts for youth in crisis.
- Strengthen organizational capacity to create sustainable solutions against youth homelessness.
- Furnish funding towards the Movement to End Youth Homelessness, including the annual Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit and a new Movement Youth Action Board.
The significance of this contribution becomes clear when considering the rapid increase in youth homelessness in Clark County and Nevada. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the number of young people experiencing homelessness increased by 34% in Clark County and 27% statewide from 2023 to 2024. These figures underscore the urgency of addressing the state's severe shortage of affordable housing, with only 17 affordable rentals available for every 100 extremely low-income rental households.
This partnership has proven vital for NPHY as it serves more than 681 youths across its programs in fiscal year 2023-2024. The 2025 funding will underwrite NPHY's outreach efforts, Safe Place mobile crisis intervention, family reunification, the drop-in center, and housing programs, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, and rapid re-housing.
The 2025 Sands Cares funding will also enable NPHY to expand its workforce in development, communications, systems-level, and advocacy roles. The partnership's efforts will lead NPHY's charge during the Movement to End Youth Homelessness at the Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit, an annual event presented by NPHY and Sands since 2017. Furthermore, funding supports NPHY's Movement Youth Action Board, ensuring young people with homelessness experiences can provide valuable leadership on solutions and systemic change; a revamped website to streamline advocacy learning; and advocacy goals for the 2025 Nevada legislative session.
Ron Reese, Sands Cares Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Corporate Affairs, expressed the company's dedication to solving youth homelessness and their confidence in NPHY's vision and leadership. The partnership demonstrates Sands' strategic approach to community engagement and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibilities. Despite the challenges, this partnership continues to play a significant role in addressing one of Nevada's most pressing social issues.
At the heart of the Las Vegas cityscape, the Sands Cares global community engagement program has been consistently supporting the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY), aiding in the fight against youth homelessness in the casino-and-gambling hub, Las Vegas. Through the donation of $300,000 in 2025, Sands will further fortify its commitment to NPHY, providing essential funding for emergency shelter, outreach efforts, and numerous programs geared towards ending youth homelessness in the region.
