Las Vegas Motel Converted Into Shelter For The Homeless

A Las Vegas motel is the latest structure to be converted into a shelter for the homeless. The Navigation Center might be the first of a long line of establishments meant to help those experiencing homelessness.

Las Vegas Commissioner Tick Segerblom says there will be several more of its kind around the valley, if this one works. According to the Review Journal, Segerblom believes these motels are a better solution for those with long-term issues. Many who experience homelessness in Las Vegas have issues that are either physical or mental, or both.

The Navigation Center can house up to 70 adults in Las Vegas. Many of those it will help would otherwise end up in county jail or a hospital. Statistics have shown over 5,000 people in Las Vegas are homeless. And 200 of homeless individuals in Southern Nevada die every year, the Las Vegas Sun reported in June 2023.

The causes of homelessness in Las Vegas are many. Including mental illness and substance abuse. And Las Vegas has had a reputation for years for being a location wrought with homeless people from all over.

The Navigation Center is on Boulder Highway, and is a place that Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has been recommending to people they find on the streets. Those who stay at the refurbished motel get clean clothes and meals provided. As well as help obtaining identification documentation and health insurance.

WellCare is a county contractor that is operating the motel. Which provides two beds and a bathroom in every room. As well as air conditioning. Social services also works with the motel to find more permanent housing for those it helps.

The Navigation Center is expected to save a lot of money in Clark County, as the cost of operating the rooms is far less than putting homeless individuals in the county jail or local hospitals.

- Wendy Rush, 96.3 KKLZ

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Oh, if this cat could talk. It would tell great tales about how it's tail got all the way to Las Vegas. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, this little feline got lost back in December 2021. Her owner noticed her missing and immediately started searching for her pet.

Tracy Cost was brokenhearted when Raven, wandered away from home. Cost had raised Raven since she was a kitten. She searched when Raven went missing but never found her. She finally gave up and thought she'd never see Raven again.

Fast forward a year and two months and good old Raven is back. But this time not in Alabama. This world traveling kitty was found in Las Vegas! That's nearly 2,000 miles away from home. According to 8newsnow, a local resident discovered her and took her in. Elizabeth McGloin found Raven near I-215 and Losee Road.

And here's where the moral of the story comes in. Microchip your animals! Because Raven was microchipped, she was able to be scanned. Much to their surprise, a local animal rescue saw that Raven was far from home. They called Cost. Who probably fell off of her chair. Her long lost pet was found after more than a year lost.

Since hearing Raven's story, people have been flocking to help. Some offering to pay for Raven's trip home. Other offering to take the cat home themselves.

A nonprofit organization called Imagine Home is taking charge of getting Raven back to her owner. Imagine Home specializes in transporting cats in a relay-style method. They put a cat in the care of a trusted volunteer, who transports the pet a specific distance until they meet another volunteer. Rinse and repeat until the animal gets to where they need to go.

So, after a doctor check-up, Raven is going home. All is well that ends well. But, one question remains unanswered. How the heck does a cat get from Alabama to Las Vegas?

We have thoughts... - Wendy Rush

If you hang around a train track long enough, you'll see cats. Raven could have been one of those track-runners who got tired and hopped on a shipment container. Next stop? Las Vegas!

Van life people are usually pretty big on nature and animals. Maybe little Raven came across a cozy van at a gas station and climbed in.

With winds gusting at over 80mph this week, it makes you wonder: just how much wind does it take to pick up a cat?

Cats are famous for their curiosity. Plus, they're always hungry. For a flight serving chicken or fish, a hungry kitty can't stay away. There are airports in both Birmingham and Las Vegas. Just sayin.

We see it all the time. The case of the identical luggage getting swapped. Maybe Raven climbed into what she thought was her owner's bag, and woke up in a totally different place.

Maybe Toonces wasn't just a TV show character. Someone should check to see if there's a car missing from Alabama.