Moving Plans For Duroville Residents On Hold

The County of Riverside is appealing a decision by the state to hold back money that would allow residents of the Duroville Mobile Home Parkin the East Valley to move to better housing.

The park,located in Thermal andhome to about a thousand people,made headlines some years ago when a federal judge ruled it should be shut down due to unhealthful conditions.In an effort to tryto create better affordable housing for Duroville residents, the county has invested in the new Mountain View Estates Mobile Home Park in Oasis.

Now there’s a major stumbling block: The state,in dismantling redevelopment agencies,has ruledit’s no longer obligated to come up with $7 millionthe county needs to complete its purchase of181 mobile homes for the $28 milliondevelopment.

“Idon’t believe anyone in Sacramento has really looked at this project and I hope they will soon and say, ‘Wait a minute.We can’t stop midway. We can’t throw away all those tax dollars that have been spent at this point and just kill this project for a tiny little impact on the state budget,'” said County Supervisor John Benoit.

Benoit says the county has already invested about $12 millioninto the Mountain View Estates.

Wednesday,county officials will find out the status of their appealat a hearing at the federal courthouse in Riverside.