As Nevada faces hotter summers, wildfires, drought and other climate-related emergencies, disaster preparedness cannot depend on guessing whether federal assistance will arrive.
Our neighbors deserve disaster policies that are reliable, transparent and equitable—and Nevada must also ask whether our state and communities have the resources necessary to prepare, respond and recover when disaster strikes.
For people of faith, disaster response isn’t only about rebuilding roads and structures. It’s about making sure the people with the fewest resources aren’t the ones left carrying the greatest burden.
New research finds that the small number of fires that grow extremely quickly cause a disproportionate share of homes and structures damaged or destroyed. These wind-driven fires can move through dry grasslands and toward neighborhoods faster than firefighters can safely contain them.
That matters here in Nevada.
Preparation cannot begin when the smoke is already in the air. We need investments in fire-resilient homes, defensible-space assistance, evacuation planning, clean-air spaces, and support for neighbors who may not have the resources to prepare or recover on their own.
Wildfire resilience is environmental justice. Older adults, renters, low-income families, outdoor workers, and rural communities should not be left to face growing risks alone.
Congregations can be part of this work too: check in on neighbors, keep updated contact lists, help people make evacuation plans, and share trusted information before an emergency begins.
The time to prepare is now—not when the flames arrive.
Working-class families are not an abstraction. They are parents deciding whether child care is worth the cost of returning to work, workers stretching a paycheck across rent and groceries, caregivers, retail employees, hospitality workers, educators, and neighbors trying to keep up with rising utility and health care bills.
Too often, political conversations about “working-class voters” leave out the many women who make up this workforce and carry so much of a family’s financial and care responsibilities.
Economic justice means listening to people’s lived experience—and advancing policies that make it possible not only to work, but to live with dignity: affordable housing, fair wages, accessible child care, reliable health care, and utility costs families can afford.
Who should have the final say when someone is at risk of losing their home?
A new lawsuit is raising questions about Nevada’s eviction system and the use of unelected hearing masters in Las Vegas Justice Court.
In 2025, approximately 78,000 summary eviction cases were filed across Nevada. More than 53,600 were filed in Las Vegas Justice Court alone, roughly 68% of the statewide total.
In Las Vegas, some summary eviction cases can be decided by appointed hearing masters rather than elected justices of the peace. The new legal challenge argues that hearing masters should not have final authority over these cases without review by an elected judge.
The courts will ultimately decide the constitutional question, but the lawsuit highlights a larger issue for Nevada:
When someone’s home is on the line, what does meaningful due process look like?
Eviction can affect far more than where someone sleeps. It can disrupt employment, education, health, family stability, and a person’s ability to secure housing in the future.
As Nevada prepares for the 2027 Legislative Session, conversations about housing affordability must also include eviction protections, court access, due process, and accountability.
Because housing justice isn’t only about making housing affordable.
It’s also about making sure our neighbors are treated fairly when their housing is at risk.
“Learn to do good; seek justice.” — Isaiah 1:17
Housing Justice Access to Justice Love of Neighbor
Food insecurity is not caused by a lack of caring or a lack of effort.
It is what happens when wages do not keep up with rent, groceries cost more each week, child care is unaffordable, utility bills rise, or an illness or reduction in work hours throws a family budget into crisis.
That is why SNAP matters.
SNAP helps families buy groceries at local stores. It helps older adults on fixed incomes afford nutritious food. It helps children learn, grow, and come to school ready to succeed. It helps workers make it through the month when a paycheck simply is not enough.
In Nevada, hunger is a policy issue.
The choices our leaders make about wages, housing, health care, child care, utilities, and food assistance shape whether families can thrive.
At LEAN, we believe that feeding our neighbors is not simply charity. It is a matter of dignity, justice, and the common good.
Because every Nevadan deserves the security of knowing there will be food on the table.
Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada 