A Somber Reality Check: Lives Lost on Washoe County's Watch
Press Release we were forwarded by a local elected official today, February 7, 2025.
While Chair Alexis Hill celebrates her "exciting" homeless programs and County Manager Eric Brown gives presentations, people have died on Washoe County streets. This isn't hyperbole - it's the brutal reality our community faces.
These aren't just statistics. These are human beings - someone's parent, child, sibling, friend - perishing in the shadows of our city while county leadership pats itself on the back for programs that clearly aren't reaching everyone in need, and claims to have reduced homelessness in Washoe County by 40%.
What's truly chilling isn't just the winter temperatures, but the disconnect between:
The polished presentations about success
The reality of questionable shelters
Community members scrambling to open warming centers
Lives literally being lost on our streets
Where's the "excitement" now, Chair Hill?
Every person who dies on our streets represents a failure - not just of our systems, but of our basic human responsibility to protect our most vulnerable neighbors. These deaths aren't just tragedies; they're indictments of a county government that seems more invested in appearances than actual solutions.
To those we've lost: You deserved better. Your lives mattered, even if the county's actions didn't reflect that truth.
To our county leaders: How many more lives must be lost before your "exciting" programs transform into effective action?
The streets of Washoe County shouldn't be anyone's final resting place.