New homeless cooling center approved for downtown Palm Springs

The Palm Springs City Council approved a permit for Well in the Desert to open a cooling center for homeless in downtown at Wednesday nights council meeting.

“Our goal is to dignity and compassion for those that ‘there but by the grace of God go I,'” said Arlene Rosenthal, president of Well in the Desert.

The building, located on Calle Encilia just north of Ramon Road will serve as a cooling center during hot days during the summer where folks can get water cool off and take a shower.

Well in the Desert will also have other services year-round provide counseling and employment services to help folks get back on their feet.

Well in the Desert works to find solution for panhandlers

A neighboring business owner say there will be serious problems once the cooling center closes for the night.

“If they close at 6, they are going to kick them out just as I am opening for dinner. And what are they going to do? They will leave there and they are going to panhandle and accost my customers and when it gets dark break into cars that are parked in my parking lot,” said Lonnie Landers, the CEO of Wangs in the Desert, which neighbors the cooling center.

Others who work downtown see a benefit to having this cooling and year round drop in center.

“This is not a problem that is going to go away by pushing it down the block. I could throw a rock at Wangs in the Desert. What Arlene and the Well in the Desert is providing a solution to this problem tonight,” said Ellen O’rourke.

The cooling center will be able to help about 40 people at a time. If it gets to capacity folks will be taken to other cooling centers in the city.

Repairs are needed at the building to make it operational, as soon as those are done the Well in the Desert will have to cooling center open for business.

The operational permit will be up for review in 6 months.

JOE GALLI IS ON FACEBOOK AND ON TWITTER AT @JOEGALLINEWS