Clark County Broke Ground on Nellis Grove, 120 East Las Vegas Apartments With Rents From About $550

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

County leaders and the developer held a groundbreaking event for Nellis Grove this week. FOX5 reporter Arianna Schmidt covered it in a story published the evening of Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, under the headline "Clark County breaks ground on 120-unit affordable housing project in east Las Vegas."

The project will add 120 apartments for working families. It sits on long-vacant land near Nellis Boulevard and Vegas Valley Drive, in unincorporated Clark County on the east side of the valley. The county calls it a key infill project. Infill means building on empty land inside an area that is already developed, instead of pushing out to the edge of the valley.

The developer is Chelsea Investment Corporation, a family-owned company. FOX5 reported that Nellis Grove is its first affordable housing project in Nevada. Ryan Lundergan, a senior development manager with Chelsea, said the goal is to create homes that local workers can actually afford. He called the site "the future home for 120 affordable housing units here in Clark County." He also described apartments that are "allowable for folks to live a normal life."

Most of the units will be what FOX5 called "deeply affordable." That means they are aimed at people who earn about half of the area median income or less. Expected rents run from about $550 to $1,600 a month. The lower end of that range is the number that has people talking.

The amenity list is better than many people expect from an affordable project. FOX5 listed in-unit laundry, a clubhouse, a pool, a playground, a dog run and barbecue areas. Those are the kinds of features you see in market-rate apartments across the valley.

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Start with the rent. In 2026 Las Vegas, finding a new apartment for around $550 a month is rare. Even $1,600, the top of the range, is in line with or below what many newer complexes charge. For a family trying to stretch every paycheck, the difference between a market-rate rent and a deeply affordable rent can be hundreds of dollars a month. That money can go to groceries, childcare, car repairs, or savings.

Next, think about who qualifies. Most units are for people earning about half of the area median income or less. Earlier this week, KTNV put Clark County's area median income at about $80,000 when it covered a different affordable project in Henderson. Half of that is about $40,000 a year. That is a rough guide only. Real limits change with household size, so a family of four can usually earn more than a single person and still qualify. The official limits will come from the program rules when leasing opens.

Who earns around $40,000 a year? A lot of people who keep the valley running. Cooks, housekeepers, cashiers, home health aides, school support staff, security officers, and people starting out in trades. Many of them work on the east side or commute through it. A new, safe, well-built apartment near Nellis Boulevard gives them a chance to live closer to work and spend less of their income on rent.

For neighbors, the big change is the lot itself. This land sat empty for a long time. Empty lots can collect trash, weeds and dumping. A finished apartment community with landscaping, lighting and people living there usually makes a block feel more cared for. Construction will bring trucks and noise for a while, and more residents will mean more cars. But many homeowners see a vacant lot getting built on as a step forward.

It also helps to understand the words being used. "Affordable housing" in news stories usually does not just mean cheap. It means rent is limited by program rules, and renters must earn under a set income line to qualify. "Deeply affordable" is a step further. It means the units are aimed at people at the lower end of the income scale, around half of the median or less. That is why the starting rents at Nellis Grove are so much lower than what you see on a typical apartment listing.

There is also a bigger picture. The east side has a lot of older housing. New construction there, even rental housing, shows that builders and the county see value in the area. That kind of investment can encourage more of it over time. When one empty lot fills in, nearby owners often start looking at their own properties differently, and small businesses take note of more people living close by.

Background and History

The money behind Nellis Grove tells a big part of the story. FOX5 reported a public and private funding mix. It includes more than $10 million from Clark County's Community Housing Fund, plus state affordable housing money, tax-exempt bonds and bank financing. Affordable projects usually need several sources stacked together. That is because the rents are set low on purpose, so the rent alone does not cover the cost of building.

The Community Housing Fund is the county's main tool for this. According to Clark County's website, the Welcome Home Program and the Community Housing Fund were created in spring 2022. The county says the fund provides gap financing to projects that need it on top of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and other sources. As of now, the county says its board has approved nearly $270 million for 47 housing developments. The county says those projects are helping build or maintain more than 5,600 affordable and attainable rental homes.

Developers told FOX5 that Nellis Grove came together in under two years. In the world of affordable housing, where lining up money from many places can take a long time, that is fairly quick.

County Commissioner Tick Segerblom spoke at the event. He described how the county works with federal, state and local governments to put deals together, and he called Clark County "the hub" that brings the pieces together. That is a fair description of how projects like this get built. No single source pays for them.

Nellis Grove is also part of a busy week for affordable housing news. Just two days earlier, on Oct. 20, the Henderson City Council approved Casara at West Henderson, a 390-unit affordable project near Inspirada. Two projects in two parts of the valley in one week show how much pressure local governments feel on housing costs.

What Happens Next

With the groundbreaking done, construction comes next. FOX5 did not report a completion date, and the county did not give one in the coverage. We will not guess. Watch the site near Nellis Boulevard and Vegas Valley Drive for grading, foundations and framing over the coming months.

Before the doors open, expect more details to come out. The key ones are the exact rent for each unit size, the income limit for each household size, and how to apply. Affordable communities often open an interest list or a leasing office ahead of move-in. If you think you might qualify, that is the moment to act, because units at these rent levels tend to get a lot of interest fast.

It is also worth watching the bigger pipeline. Nellis Grove is one of many projects the county's Community Housing Fund has helped pay for since 2022. The county board approves this funding at public meetings, and new rounds can bring more projects to different parts of the valley. If you care about where affordable housing goes next, those meetings are where the decisions get made. Residents can watch them and comment on agenda items.

Here are the open questions we will be watching:

When will it open? No completion date has been given.
What is the unit mix? We do not yet know how many units are studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms or larger.
Which units get which rents? The $550 to $1,600 range is expected, but the rent for each unit type has not been posted.
How will applications work? Watch for an interest list, a leasing website or a county announcement.

Ryan's Take

I mostly work with buyers and sellers, not renters, but projects like Nellis Grove matter to the whole housing market. When rent eats up half of someone's paycheck, they never get the chance to save for a down payment. A family paying a lower, stable rent for a few years can build savings, fix their credit and get ready to buy. Today's renters in a project like this can become tomorrow's first-time buyers on the east side and beyond.

For east side homeowners, I see this as a positive. A long-empty lot becoming a new, managed community with a pool, a playground and landscaping is usually good for the block. The east valley still offers some of the best value in Las Vegas for buyers. New investment like this, plus road projects nearby, helps make the case that the area is worth a second look.

I also like that this is infill. Building on empty land inside the valley uses roads, water lines and bus routes that already exist. It puts homes near jobs that are already there. That is a smarter way to grow than only adding homes at the far edges, where people end up with longer drives every day.

What You Can Do

If you think you might qualify, start preparing now. Add up your household's total yearly income and compare it with the rough half-of-median guide, about $40,000 for a smaller household, with higher limits for bigger families. Gather your pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements and ID. Affordable housing applications almost always ask for proof of income, and being ready can be the difference between getting a unit and landing on a waitlist. Keep checking Clark County news and the developer for leasing updates.

Here is how applying for income-restricted housing usually works, so you know what to expect when Nellis Grove opens leasing:

Interest list or application. You sign up or fill out an application. Some communities take people in the order they apply, so being early helps.
Income check. The property checks your household income against the limit for your household size. Expect to show pay stubs, benefit letters, tax returns or bank statements.
Household details. You list everyone who will live in the unit. The number of people affects both the income limit and which unit sizes you can rent.
Screening. Like most apartments, there is usually a rental history and background check.
Yearly updates. In many income-restricted programs, residents update their income each year to stay eligible.

The exact steps for Nellis Grove have not been announced. Use this as a general guide, and follow the official instructions when they come out.

If you rent and earn more than the limits, this is still a good reminder to look at your options. Many renters do not realize there are down payment assistance programs and first-time buyer loans that can make owning possible sooner than they think. A short call with a lender can tell you what payment you would qualify for and what price range that means on the east side or anywhere else in the valley.

If you own a home near Nellis Boulevard and Vegas Valley Drive, follow the project as it goes up. Report any construction problems, like dust or blocked sidewalks, to Clark County. If you are thinking about selling in the next year or two, understanding what is being built around you helps you price your home right and tell buyers a good story about where the neighborhood is headed.

And please share this with anyone you know who is struggling with rent. Many people never hear about affordable openings until the waitlist is already full. A heads-up now could make a real difference for someone.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com