"I Visited the Hidden Tunnel Community of Las Vegas"
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 feels almost impossible to imagine—until it’s seen firsthand. Drew Binsky partnered with Rob from the Shine a Light Foundation, who guided him into this hidden network to meet the people living there and hear their stories directly.
Shine a Light Foundation is a nonprofit working across Clark County focused on supporting people experiencing homelessness through outreach, case management, and long-term housing pathways. Their work goes beyond immediate aid, combining transitional housing, treatment referrals, job support, and vital document recovery through programs designed to help individuals move toward stability and independence.
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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. 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."
“I hate being hated by most everyone for what other people do. Not all homeless people are bad.”
"There was a guy in my neighbourhood that was killing homeless people with a hammer a couple weeks [ago] and they caught him."
"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."
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Brenda H.
BA Psych, Grad. Cert. Addictions & Mental Health
Driven by a deep personal connection to these topics, I created AMH Resources to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and everyday support. I watch, read, and summarize a wide range of free resources to help you navigate the overwhelming amount of information available and find what resonates with your journey.