Transfer of Federal Land Brings Affordable Senior Housing to Las Vegas, Nevada

Transfer of Federal Land Brings Affordable Senior Housing to Las Vegas, Nevada

Developed on what was once public land, Heirloom at Pebble delivers 195 units of affordable infill housing for seniors in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo credit: Ovation

Las Vegas, the most populous city in Nevada, faces pronounced housing affordability challenges. The region's average rent remains 19 percent higher than in 2020, and incomes have not kept pace with rising housing costs. In 2023, Clark County officials estimated that the county had a shortage of more than 85,000 homes for residents earning up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI). Affordability challenges in the region stem from a lack of supply, which, in turn, reflects a shortage of developable land. A July 2024 report prepared for the city of Las Vegas projected that the city would need an additional 2,511 dwelling units by 2029 to support expected population growth.

One barrier to housing production in Nevada is that the federal government controls more than 80 percent of the state's land; of this, 60 percent is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Nevada Housing Coalition notes that much of this federal land borders or overlaps with urban areas, especially in southern Nevada. The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 established regulations allowing BLM to sell federal land to state and local government entities without congressional approval.

Some localities have used this process to acquire land for developing affordable housing. Opened in May 2025, Heirloom at Pebble is the latest of several affordable senior housing properties that Ovation Design & Development has produced through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. Clark County facilitated the transfer of a vacant BLM parcel to deliver Heirloom at Pebble's 195 low-income senior housing units.

Developing Vacant Urban Land

Ovation, a family-run Las Vegas development company and one of Nevada's leading affordable senior housing builders, began planning for Heirloom at Pebble in 2020. Through a request for proposals process, Clark County selected Ovation to develop a 5-acre parcel in what Armen Hadjimanoukian, director of development at Ovation, called "a great infill location" on Torino Avenue in Las Vegas. Ovation has developed several affordable senior housing projects on BLM land, opening Ensemble 1 and Ensemble 2 in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Apartments in Heirloom at Pebble feature open floorplans along with granite countertops, hard-surface flooring, and full kitchens with ample cabinet space. Photo credit: Ovation

The county submitted the nomination package for the land transfer in September 2022; however, the submission was not approved until April 2023 because of administrative delays. Ovation began construction on the project in November 2023. Hadjimanoukian noted that the process of developing BLM land has improved since then, thanks in part to a 2023 memorandum of understanding between HUD and the U.S. Department of the Interior regarding the use of BLM land for affordable housing development. "That [agreement has] been great at accelerat[ing] the timeline of being able to navigate the BLM process," he said.

About Heirloom at Pebble

Heirloom at Pebble's 195 units include 139 one-bedroom and 56 two-bedroom apartments. All units are income restricted, with 20 units reserved for households earning up to 30 percent of AMI, 135 units for those earning up to 50 percent of AMI, and 40 units for those earning up to 60 percent of AMI.

All units have open floorplans and feature granite countertops, hard-surface flooring, spacious cabinets, full kitchen appliances, and accessible showers. The community offers a range of amenities for residents to enjoy, including a fitness center and outdoor courtyards. The community also boasts a 950-panel rooftop solar array, which takes advantage of Nevada's sunny environment to reduce residents' energy costs. Heirloom at Pebble is within a mile of several restaurants, parks, and faith communities as well as a shopping mall and athletic club.

Financing

Heirloom at Pebble features numerous communal areas and amenities for residents. Photo credit: Ovation

The development of Heirloom at Pebble cost approximately $47.9 million, not including the value of the land that Clark County supplied. Major funding sources included $7.5 million from the Clark County Community Housing Fund, $2 million from the Nevada Housing Division, $1.8 million in a mix of Housing Trust Fund and HOME Investment Partnerships funds issued through Clark County, and $1 million in Affordable Housing Program funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.

A Promising Model

Heirloom at Pebble has quickly attracted residents, with approximately 87 percent of units leased as of July 2025. Ovation plans to continue developing public land and has several such projects under development, including Decatur Rome, which broke ground in 2024.

According to Jess Molasky, principal and chief operating officer of Ovation, the project reflects Ovation's commitment to high-quality, affordable housing. "We have a deep belief that good design does not have to be expensive, and we apply what we learn, from building amazing market-rate products to our affordable housing," said Molasky. "So it's really helping retirees live in a dignified way in a place that's beautiful and comfortable."