On Monday community leaders cut the ribbon on the new Welcome Center at the Nevada Cares Campus.
The building has been under construction for years, but now Washoe County and other city partners will be able to start putting it to use.
It offers more services for the homeless, and also provides better workspaces for staff on site.
"As we've walked through the building there's been tears, there's been celebrations," said Dana Searcy, Division Director, Washoe County Housing and Homeless Services. "Everyone has been working the past three years out of temporary buildings."
Before this center was completed, many of the staff were working out of trailers. Now, they have their own office spaces upstairs.
This Welcome Center will now be the first thing clients walk into when entering the campus and it will house a lot of resources and services for them.
"Behavioral health and case management services," Searcy said. "There is a nurse facility on site. All of our security services are here as well as training space."
There is also a new kitchen and dining hall to help feed people.
Other than Washoe County Personnel, City of Reno will also have staff onsite.
There are about 600 people receiving support from the campus.
This center cost about $18 million to build and $12 million of that came from federal funding.
"So when we took a look at it, and said yeah this is a good thing to do," said Representative Mark Amodei, (R) Nevada. "We need to do some stuff in the Truckee Meadows. This is a good place to spend federal money in the Truckee Meadows."
The entire campus has cost around $78 million. While there has been some criticism of how they've used the tax dollars, the county says this saves money in the long term.
"This campus will allow us to reduce the cost around our community," Searcy said. "That of our law enforcement response, our jail time, our emergency services, our medical services."
While this center will help current Cares Campus clients, it could also prevent people on the bubble from becoming homeless in the first place.
"We also are going to be able to help people that are on the edge, cannot pay the rent this month," said Chair Alexis Hill, Washoe County Board of County Commissioners. "Come and see us at the Welcome Center. Let's see how we can keep you in your home instead of having to go to the Cares Campus."
This center is phase three of the four phases to expand services at the campus.
Phase four of the campus will bring housing opportunities for their clients. That's expected to be finished by spring of next year.
