Introduction

For our WebCase Project, we are focusing on addiction and homelessness in Las Vegas; these are two issues the city is well known for and unfortunately has not yet been able to effectively tackle. Some areas of policy and planning we are looking to further investigate are guaranteed housing, free or low cost Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) providers, and non-profit inpatient treatment centers.

Larger Context

While on the surface it may seem like this topic mostly leans towards the social justice aspect of just sustainability, it encompasses each of the four in distinct but intersecting ways. For example, shelters and homeless-friendly infrastructure invests in the residential population of the city, which ensures a stable future and it encourages the economic development of the city by removing two of the greatest barriers to social mobility: homelessness and substance abuse. Investing in social mobility is important when talking about prosperity and growing the middle class for future generations. Speaking of the economic impact, minimizing the effects of substance abuse stabilizes the market by moving towards healthier consumerism (where consumers are likely to live longer); in addition, a reduction in pollution from both issues doesn’t just help with ecological sustainability, but attracts more permanent residents.

Key Themes

Low Cost, Humanizing, Resilient – Being that both homelessness and addiction are heavily linked with poverty, it’s important that people can afford our solutions. This project will appeal to compassion in others and resist against treating these issues as ‘business as usual’. The nature of these issues are deeply unsustainable so the challenge will be in finding a solution that not only works for the time being, but can last well into the future.

Sustainable Housing – Another key theme we wanted to represent was sustainable housing. Homelessness in this city has been an ongoing issue for years. People are not given access to affordable or sustainable housing. Without this resource, people are left sleeping on the streets.

Substance Abuse Resources – Our final theme was access to substance abuse resources. There is a link between homelessness and substance abuse in this city. Creating access to resources that give people the assistance they need facing substance abuse addiction. This gives people a chance to turn their lives around and live a better life.

Community Building – The most important social theme in building a truly sustainable city is community. Growing a community that is honest and caring can prevent people from slipping through the cracks and ending up in dangerous situations.