New apartments applauded as affordable housing in North Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Lake Mead West Apartments are open and accepting applications for affordable units that start below $1,000 a month. A one-bedroom is leasing for $929. Two bedrooms for $1,116 and three for $1,290.

That’s quite a bit lower than prices around the valley, but there’s already a waiting list.

Developers of the three-story, 156-unit complex, which is at 32654 W. Lake Mead Blvd. in North Las Vegas, are partnering with HopeLink to help residents get needed wrap-around services.

“As we all know, affordable housing is a crisis here in Southern Nevada,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Susie Lee said. “Having a unit like this that will offer affordable housing for families is so incredibly important.

“Clark County ranks at the top of households that are renters,” she said. “We rank at the top of the list of cities in which families spend over one-third of their income on rent.”

“There’s a saying … ‘It’s expensive to be poor,’ ” Lee said. The apartments are a success story in bringing affordable housing to the valley. The same developer is breaking ground on apartments this fall for seniors on a 4-acre lot next to Lake Mead West.

A brochure tells applicants right up front the income requirements to qualify. Deposits add up to $600, and more for pet owners.

Lee said there are people on the street who have jobs, but they can’t afford the requirements of many apartment complexes in the valley.

North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes Brown and Ward 2 Councilwoman Ruth Garcia-Anderson were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, along with Lee, representatives from U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s office and Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy II.

Hassan Chaudhry, managing partner for Foresight Companies, the project’s developer, thanked the builders, city officials, and HopeLink in a speech before the ribbon cutting. He said without the wrap-around services that are connected to Lake Mead West, the building was really just a shell.

The apartments are just south of the North Las Vegas Airport, and just east of the empty lot where Texas Station used to be.

The apartments surround a courtyard with a pool, and a dog park is located near the entrance gate off Lake Mead Boulevard. A playground is still under construction.

“The challenges in getting this project done almost started immediately,” according to Joe DiRaffaele, owner of Foresight Companies. “Before we even got into planning, the whole world was shut down with the pandemic.”

He said the project had to overcome supply chain issues and labor issues.

“Everywhere along the way, we were tested to see what our resolve was,” DiRaffaele said, noting that partnerships with the builders, in the community and with the city were important to finishing the apartments.