Riverside County adopts five-year plan to address homelessness and housing
The Riverside County Continuum of Care’s Board of Governance approved a five-year plan to address homelessness and housing.
County officials said the plan establishes a framework that transforms the Continuum of Care network into a high functioning, high performing network that sets vision and direction, engages in collective decision-making and improves the impact of programs that address homelessness.
“I applaud the incredible work that has taken place to provide a real road map to address our county’s unhoused residents,” said Heidi Marshall, director of Riverside County’s Housing and Workforce Solutions. “This was truly a community-based effort that sets clear goals and addresses short, medium, and long-term solutions.”
The plan is a culmination of two years of planning efforts between stakeholders and community partners who worked to develop data-driven, goal-oriented and best practices solutions.
The plan began development two years ago when Riverside County created the Department of Housing and Workforce Solutions (HWS). The HWS was initially created as a stand-alone department to address the growing housing and homeless crisis more effectively. The department has broken down silos and achieved collaborative programming and operations.
The HWS has worked with community partners and other county agencies to help house hundreds of unhoused residents and increase the number of affordable housing units being developed.
County officials said this five-year strategic action plan aligns the work of the department, builds on the successes achieved and addresses the challenges ahead.
In a move to further enhance the work of HWS, the department named Greg Rodriguez as the deputy director of government affairs and community engagement.
Rodriguez currently works for Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez as the government affairs and public policy advisor. He is deeply involved in county housing and homelessness issues, chairs the Continuum of Care, and has led several housing and homeless collaborative efforts in the Coachella Valley.
County officials added that the new position will play a key role in bringing the five-year plan to life, developing regional collaborative efforts, as well as working with city, state, and federal officials to obtain necessary resources and implementation measures. Additionally, the position will work with stakeholders in community-based public and private partnerships to address housing and homeless issues.
