Palm Springs holds community forum on $10M homelessness grant
People in Palm Springs got a chance to share their thoughts at a special council meeting Wednesday evening on how the city should spend a $10 million state grant to address homelessness.
The $10 million is already allocated in the state's budget to help get people off the streets, but it's not in the city's bank account yet. City leaders first need to submit a plan to the state, and Wednesday's meeting was residents' chance to give their thoughts on what the plan should include.
"To be able to secure $10 million in our city to really make an impact is an incredible feeling and a moment in our history for this city," said Mayor Pro-Tem Christy Holstege.
Some residents urged city council to use the funds on long-term solutions.
"Make sure that we spend our money wisely on something that's going to be sustained for years," said Arlene Rosenthal, president of Well in the Desert.
The city is limited by the state in what the money can be used for.
"Things like rental assistance for tenants, things like landlord navigation programs to find landlords to rent to people, to permanent housing, to motel hotel conversions," Holstege said.
Permanent housing was a major theme of discussion from the public – for instance: following models like the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission or Martha's Village, facilities that house homeless people in the east valley.
"They have drug rehab, they have shelter, they stuff for families, they have medical," said Palm Springs resident James Gavin. "It would be an easy thing to bring that facility out here and mimic what they have in the east valley."
The city took suggestions from several people experiencing homelessness.
"We just can't continue in the conditions we are currently in," one woman told the council.
"The major problem with homelessness is finding viable jobs," said Bert Silker, a homeless Palm Springs resident.
Some suggested more education resources.
"You can't just feed them, put them in a house and clothe them because they're going to be the same person when you do all that," one resident said. "You've got to educate these people."
Others pushed to ensure city council didn't waste time with bureaucratic process.
"I want the city to act quickly, without a couple of years of committee meetings, and make a decision on how to help these people," said Wesley Cole.
Riverside County Supervisor Manuel Perez attended the meeting along with members of CVAG's Homelessness Committee and officials with the Desert Healthcare District.
The meeting was led by Barbara Poppe, a nationally recognized leader on homeless issues and former executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
In the past two years, Palm Springs has started new homeless assistance programs in a partnership with the Desert Healthcare District, allocating more than $1.4 million to house and provide other services and open emergency overnight cooling shelters during the summer months.
The city has until February 15 to submit their application for the funding to the state, but officials say there will be continued opportunities for public input after that date.
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