New housing complex will cater to low-income families, young people emerging from foster care

Officials broke ground today on an affordable housing complex in Henderson for low-income families and young adults transitioning out of foster care.

Sunrise Ranch Apartments, located at South Broadbent Boulevard and Boulder Highway in Henderson, will have 144 units, with 60 set aside for young adults leaving the foster care system to live independently. The complex is expected to open in late 2026.

“We know that there are thousands of working families in Southern Nevada that are struggling to afford rent and other necessities, but every new unit of affordable housing is an essential investment in the long-term sustainability of our community, so we’re so happy to be here,” said Audra Hamernik, president and CEO of Nevada Nevada Housing and Neighborhood Development, a group dedicated to providing affordable housing solutions.

Along with two- and three-bedroom apartments, the complex will include a clubhouse, activity room, computer lab, fitness center, outdoor recreation areas and a playground.

Clark County Social Services is going to provide on-site support services for residents who are transitioning from foster care to independent living, officials said.

Nevada Housing and Neighborhood Development spearheaded the effort to develop the complex. The nonprofit group, commonly referred to as Nevada HAND, has worked on the development, construction, management and preservation of affordable housing across the state. 

The Sunrise Ranch Apartments will cost about $53.7 million to build. The Nevada Housing Division is providing about $32.6 million.

Clark County contributed $13.1 million; the city of Henderson gave about $3.2 million and another $1.8 million in American Rescue Plan funding. The city of Las Vegas allocated $1 million in American Rescue Plan funding. Developer financing accounted for the final $2 million.

Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero said housing prices nationally have outpaced income growth, “making housing affordability a critical issue for budgets.”

Sunrise Ranch Apartments is one of several affordable housing projects recently developed in Henderson, Romero said.

Henderson City Council member Carrie Cox said Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony represented a “ground-shaking effort to combat youth homelessness, and we are so proud to be a part of this important project.”

Hamernik said that “one of the most exciting aspects of Sunrise Ranch is the designation of 60 units for kids aging out of foster care.”

In 2022, some 4,131 young people in Nevada were in foster care, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child and Family Services’ 2024 Annual Progress and Services Report. 

To help future residents of the Sunrise Ranch Apartments who are transitioning from foster care, Nevada HAND partnered with StepUp, an after-care program by Clark County Social Services connecting young adults with a case manager to help them become self-sufficient.

There are about 300 young people from the ages of 18 to 20 in the StepUp program, said Alisha Barrett, the program’s deputy director.

Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar took thanked Nevada HAND and the local jurisdictions for getting the project off the ground. He stressed the importance of caring for vulnerable communities. 

“Here we are with Nevada HAND’s leadership making our city stronger,” Aguilar said. “Our youth care about our future and care about our state, and we need to make sure we care about them and their future is bright.”