LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) -A tenant facing a astronomical rent raise of $6,400 found an affordable place to live, thanks to a FOX5 viewer.
In late February, FOX5 told you about the case of “Derek,” who saw his rent rise from $1,495 to $7,890 a month.
There is no rent control in Nevada. “The rent is whatever we want to deem it,” a relative of the landlord and property manager said.
A viewer saw the story about Derek’s search for a home amid Las Vegas’ rental shortage, and reached out to help.
“I felt it was not right for him to be in that situation. He did so many things right. I talked to the owner. We were able to match-make this situation,” said Cynthia Woodward of Key Property Management.
According to Woodward, the owner was willing to accept payment from the CHAP program, or Clark County’s rental assistance.
Derek said he cannot quantify how much he has defied the odds in Las Vegas’ challenging housing market.
FOX5 reported that rents have doubled for families or seniors on fixed incomes. In the search for a home, landlords at times “cash in” on the flood of applications with no limits on interested parties per unit, no caps on fees, and no refund guaranteed even after rejection, according to state law.
“There are still thousands of people here who don’t look like me, or sound like me, being bounced out of their houses as we speak,” Derek said.
According to a spokesperson for the Clark County Commission, the issue is at the top of the “radar” for officials to address.
“We have to have a conversation. Some may call it rent control. Some call it balance. Whatever we call it, we call it doing the right thing,” Commissioner William McCurdy II of District D said in an interview with FOX5.
Derek started a GoFundMe to help others who are in the same situation as him, and hopes to help cash-strapped families afford a high down payment.
Click here to learn more: GoFundMe
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