Reno homeless population on street nearly doubles in a year

RENO, Nev. (AP) — The number of homeless people living on Reno-area streets has almost doubled over the past year as home prices continue to soar to record levels and the lack of affordable housing intensifies. The Reno Gazette Journal reports county data shows the number “unsheltered/unknown” homeless individuals jumped from 342 in January 2021 to 656 last month. Catrina Peters, a Washoe County data and policy specialist, says part of the increase is due to stepped-up outreach that is capturing more numbers of homeless in the county database. But the affordable-housing shortage remains a driving force. The area’s median home price recently topped $600,000.