The Las Vegas Veteran

Helping Veteran homeowners in the valley.

New Yorker Billy Alt moved to Las Vegas in 2003. For the last 20 years, he has built himself a reputation as a hard-working real estate agent and an avid supporter of military veterans in the city. Alt served in the Marines Corps from 1993 to 1999 in logistics and aviation ordinance, a crucial part of his history that drives him forward with helping fellow veterans. Although he volunteers with multiple organizations, Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada (RTSN) holds a special place in his heart.

As a real estate agent, he said he wants to see homeowners stay homeowners. In his line of work, he has seen the city’s rise in population and elderly veterans cause difficulties in homeownership. He said that low-income and elderly or disabled veterans are all over the valley and that “…after a while, they don’t have the means to upkeep their homes.”

Alt seeks to change that through his work with RTSN. Through networking in the city and his career in real estate, he discovered the non-profit, and it intrigued him. The organization raises funds and gathers volunteers to rebuild, upkeep, and provide ADA accessibility modifications to houses for those in need. Alt decided that it was a “natural transition” for him to offer his expertise as a realtor.

RTSN asked Alt to officially join their team in 2015, and he was happy to do so. Last year, Alt said the non-profit helped 1,000 homes, 20%-25% of which were veterans. The organization does a great job of involving the community and creating meaningful connections between other non-profits. “When we are doing an event at a house, and the neighbors see what we are doing, it inspires them to help out as well.” Alt said.

While every event hosted by the organization is important, Alt reminisced about one that stood out to him. A couple of years ago, Alt worked on a home for a disabled Korean war veteran that had an unexpected hospital visit. During the home renovation, the veteran’s wife was able to connect Alt with the hospitalized homeowner via video call, and they were able to share an emotional, yet special, moment.

Cody Vogt, a volunteer with RTSN, spoke fondly of the time he spent revitalizing an elderly disabled veteran’s home. Even though the project required shoveling three tons of gravel to landscape the yard, Vogt said, “It’s a good feeling being able to help somebody when they don’t have the ability or resources to do it themselves.”

RTSN is currently building a housing complex for low-income veterans. The organization would like to continue buying property and building housing for those in need as they gather funding from the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Act. Alt said that the organization hopes to expand in the upcoming years, and exposure, donations, and volunteers are key to making that happen.

There are many ways to get involved with RTSN whether through donations or volunteering. As Alt said, the non-profit needs those in the community that are willing to give “…Time, treasures, or talent”. The organization has more information about helping on its website.