1. To the extent that money is available for this purpose, the Department shall establish and administer the Nevada Housing Crisis Response System.

2. The System must:

(a) Coordinate with social service agencies, local governments and nonprofit organizations to, as quickly as possible, identify, assess, refer and connect persons in crisis to housing, assistance and services, including, without limitation, emergency services, emergency shelters, interim housing and permanent housing.

(b) Provide and operate a system for responding to a crisis that is accessible by a person in crisis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, through which a person in crisis may be identified, assessed, referred and connected to housing, assistance and services pursuant to paragraph (a).

(c) Provide education or information on how persons in crisis may access and use the System for responding to a crisis that is provided pursuant to paragraph (b).

(d) To prevent homelessness, develop prevention assistance programs that assist persons who are:

(1) Transient or at imminent risk of homelessness in:

(I) Preserving their current housing situation;

(II) Identifying housing arrangements as an alternative to their current housing situation; or

(III) Immediately finding housing arrangements for persons who are leaving a housing situation that is not safe; and

(2) Homeless in finding housing arrangements.

3. The System may perform any other action that:

(a) Assists persons in crisis; and

(b) Helps prevent or address homelessness in this State.

4. The Department may adopt such regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this section and NRS 422A.690, including, without limitation, regulations requiring a person or entity that accepts money from the Department or a division thereof to participate in the System.

5. As used in this section, “person in crisis” means a person who is transient, at imminent risk of homelessness or homeless.

(Added to NRS by 2019, 833)