#Las Vegas #Las Vegas Sands #youth homelessness #Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth

Las Vegas Sands' Continued Fight Against Youth Homelessness in Nevada

In a significant move towards eradicating youth homelessness in Nevada, Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) has generously donated $300,000 to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY). This contribution boosts the total funding from the Sands to $3.2 million since 2014, underscoring their deep commitment to addressing the challenges faced by homeless youth across Clark County.

The donation serves multiple purposes, including funding essential programs for youth in crisis, enhancing the capacity of NPHY, and furthering the ongoing Movement to End Youth Homelessness in Nevada. This initiative is particularly crucial in light of a recent study revealing that nearly 3,000 unaccompanied youth accessed homelessness services in just one year in Nevada. The alarming report indicates that the actual number of homeless youth could exceed 33,000 annually, highlighting the urgency for systemic and sustainable solutions.

NPHY has been pivotal in implementing initiatives aimed at reducing homelessness among youth. With the support of Sands Cares, the organization assisted 726 individual young people in 2025, marking a record high for the nonprofit. Furthermore, they made over 17,000 contacts with youth in need through outreach programs and provide one of the rare emergency shelters in Southern Nevada dedicated to unaccompanied minors.

Arash Ghafoori, CEO of NPHY, emphasized the invaluable role that Sands has played over the past decade. “Sands has been a transformational partner, helping us provide a pathway to stability for youth in crisis,” he noted. “This partnership is pushing us toward a landmark achievement as we develop the first stand-alone plan to end youth homelessness in the state.”

The 2026 Sands Cares contribution specifically aids NPHY in three essential areas:

1. Immediate Relief for Youth in Crisis
The funding directly supports NPHY's extensive care programs, which include outreach, mobile crisis intervention, family reunification, and various housing options. Plans are also underway to increase emergency shelter beds by 50%, enhancing their capacity to assist those in urgent need without overburdening existing staff.

2. Strengthening NPHY Operations
The Sands Cares donation allows NPHY to restructure its operational departments. By dividing essential functions into distinct entities, they can better focus on development and outreach efforts, thus maximizing their impact on the community.

3. Systemic Advocacy for Lasting Change
A significant focus of the contribution will also be on advancing NPHY's role in the statewide Movement to End Youth Homelessness. This includes co-hosting the forthcoming 2026 Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit and initiating the creation of a comprehensive plan to address youth homelessness in Nevada.

“While our commitment to ending youth homelessness remains robust, we are increasingly aware of the intensifying challenges we face,” stated Ron Reese, Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Corporate Affairs at Sands.