Assemblymen request $10 million for homeless assistance in Coachella Valley

Two desert-area legislators submitted a formal request for $10 million in state funding to help address homelessness in the Coachella Valley, local officials said today.

Assemblymen Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley, and Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, requested that the funds be included in the state budget on behalf of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments and city of Palms Springs.

According to their request, 70% of the $10 million would be earmarked toward projects in the western Coachella Valley, while 30% would be allocated toward existing homeless services in the broader Coachella Valley.

The funds would be used in part to purchase properties for crisis housing — since CVAG is at capacity for crisis stabilization beds — and to acquire or lease unused hotels and motels in Palm Springs, according to the city.

Last week, the Palm Springs City Council unanimously voted to allocate $100,000 for homeless assistance programs. Those funds are expected to assist about two dozen area families who qualify for federal housing assistance, but are still unable to afford local rents, forcing them to live on
the streets.

Riverside County’s University Health System identified between 20 and 25 Palm Springs families who fall into the unique circumstance of being left homeless despite qualifying for a $926 monthly housing voucher from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to a city staff report.