Zoning issue causes Palm Springs homeless resource center to close doors
Some Palm Springs residents voiced their concerns to the city about the homeless problem in their neighborhood and the resource center, Well in the Desert, that feeds them.
“This is the only thing that has given all of us a good start,” Well in the Desert client Willie Seals said.
For 26 years, nonprofit Well in the Desert has provided the homeless in Palm Springs food, clothing, showers and other services to help people get back on their feet.
Last week, neighbors in the Desert Highland Gateway Estates community said they want the organization to move out.
“There’s been a couple instances where some of the homeless has been in an elderly gentleman’s front yard basically washing himself down with a water hose, another where an elderly man was awakened at five in the morning with a homeless person banging on the window,” Tony Pellum said.
That meeting caused the city of Palm Springs to investigate if the organization is allowed to operate in its location. City officials said the organization needs a permit that could take months to get, if it’s even approved.
Well in the Desert is deciding to move on after this week.
“It’s not our intention to have families pitted against each other or the community pitted against each other so we intend to do the things that’s going to alleviate that and that’s probably to not be in the building eventually,” Well in the Desert president Arlene Rosenthal said.
One person who uses the organization’s services said without it, many in the area will go without.
“This right here was a big helping to a lot of us. If there is any way they can help us please do because at this time and present you’re going to deal with a bunch of people that’s running out here in the streets because there is nowhere for them to go,” Seals said.
Rosenthal said the organization is already brainstorming how to distribute their services in the future.
“What we’ll do probably in the meantime is to be mobile and deliver our services throughout the city of Palm Springs,” Rosenthal said.
