When people visit Las Vegas, they see bright lights, glitz, and a lot of money flowing into the state. As a city funded primarily by tourism, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s on the surface, and with new resorts, casinos and entertainment venues popping up daily, it might be hard to believe that there’s a deep layer of grit underneath that shiny exterior.

Those of us who live here know different. While Las Vegas and other parts of Nevada definitely attract some of the wealthiest people in the world, it’s also home to some of the poorest. And despite the fact that Vegas is “open for business” and tourists are filling the hotels and casinos to capacity now, many families are still struggling to recover their pre-pandemic lives. 

As of August, 2021, Nevada had a headline unemployment rate of 7.7 percent, the highest in the nation. Nevada also ranks as having one of the highest rates of homelessness, with more than 200 people per 100,000 residents experiencing homelessness at some point. Nevada’s combination of a relatively low minimum wage alongside high housing prices puts us on the edge of immediate crisis, and a recent report from Brookings Mountain West at UNLV suggests we can only expect an increase in our homeless population. 

Some of those most affected are families, especially single-parent households. The pandemic led to millions of women being forced out of the labor market, simply because they often bear the primary burden of family care. Additionally, childcare providers, who are the true workforce behind the workforce, are barely able to support their own families on the wages they recieve. This has not only led to more households having less income, many childcare centers have had to close, and in a state that is already considered a child care desert, that means even fewer options for working parents.

The implementation of the Child Tax Credit in July of this year, which provided working families with children under the age of 17 automatic payments of $250 to $300 per month, has been a lifesaver for many of these struggling households, giving a much needed boost to those in need. Families have been able to provide for their children, no longer having to choose between paying the electric bill and putting food on the table. According to data from Census.gov, parents also used the Child Tax Credit for expenses such as school supplies and child care costs. In Nevada alone, more than 500,000 children benefited from the tax credit, with a distribution of $143.3 million to upwards of 330,000 families.

As part of the Biden administration's Build Back Better plan, the Child Tax Credit is up for extension, but congress’ lack of action on getting the package approved could mean a lapse in payments – just in time for Christmas. The IRS will be issuing its last monthly CTC payment as of December 15, unless the house can approve the spending package by December 28. As congress languishes over the package, we wait to see if some families will enjoy a Christmas miracle, or have to struggle once again to provide for their children. 

In a city where tourism is king, we might feel like catering to wealthy patrons is a good way to help boost the economy in both Las Vegas and the state as a whole. However, the fact remains, it is the backbone of that tourist economy that really needs our help; the people who live and work right here in Nevada, not those who fly in for the occasional weekend. Extending the CTC will not only improve the lives of Nevada families across the state, it will help generate more income into our local economy as a whole. 

Jody Ellis is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. Her work has appeared in publications such as Huffington Post, LennyLetter, BBC and Civil Eats. She's currently part of a Fellowship with Community Change, writing about issues and policies that impact low-income families.