A Homeless Community of Over 1,500 People in Las Vegas Are Living in Underground Tunnels

Introduction

Did you know that a homeless community of over 1,500 people are living in tunnels beneath Las Vegas? Beneath the billion-dollar casinos, upscale nightclubs, and Michelin-star restaurants lies an underground world that seems almost unbelievable—until you see it for yourself. Drew Binsky partnered with Rob from the Shine a Light Foundation, who led him into this hidden world to meet the people living there and hear their stories firsthand.

Quotes

“There are more than 1,500 people living in tunnels below Las Vegas. Directly under the billion dollar casinos, luxury nightclubs and blackjack tables, people suffering from homelessness, drug addictions and mental health trauma are living completely off the grid and by their own rules. I want to find out what this hidden community is like, how these people ended up down here and shine a light on this mysterious underground world.”

“I am on my way to meet up with Rob, ex-tunnel resident who escaped homelessness after an attack that left him near dead on the train tracks.”

“I am on my way to meet up with Rob, ex-tunnel resident who escaped homelessness after an attack that left him near dead on the train tracks. We are starting here at the Shine a Light Foundation headquarters, which is a nonprofit helping the community. Everyone who works here are people that used to live in the tunnel so they understand the life, they know how to talk to the people and it’s awesome to see how they’re giving back.”

“The tunnels are prone to flooding during monsoon season and drugs like fentanyl and crystal meth are widespread.”

“The tunnel is the best example of both addiction and homelessness.”

“There was a guy in my neighbourhood that was killing homeless people with a hammer a couple weeks [ago] and they caught them … people would drive by and throw a bottle, people would yell things.”

“I was a cook at the time. I came out here to kind of try and change my life but when I landed very quickly I realized he wasn’t so much a friend as much as a using buddy … we were in a bad neighbourhood, it was really the environment … I was able to continue to do what I was doing .. I was able to kind of hold it together for a awhile, get married, have kids, and eventually it kind of came to an end.”

“I didn’t hear about them [the tunnels] until I was like 2-3 years homeless. I had relapsed, was homeless right away. I was living on the surface and when you’re homeless there’s no resources, you don’t know where anything is.”

“Dead. I don’t have anything to look forward to. I’m not suicidal or anything like that, every day is like the movie Groundhog Day, it’s repetitive every day. Anything you try to do to get ahead won’t work.”