RivCo Board approves $5.7. mil for Palm Springs homeless center; Neighborhood group plans demonstration against location
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the use of $5.7 million for the Palm Springs Navigation Center, which aims to address the city's homelessness issue.
The funds will be used for the acquisition of the center's campus, which will be located in Palm Springs, but was not specified by the office of Supervisor Manuel Perez. According to Perez's office, he will seek more funding from the county for renovation and development of the campus for a total of $7 million.
The campus aims to address the homelessness issue facing Palm Springs through a "solution-oriented approach,'' and is being developed by the city in partnership with Riverside County. The campus will provide housing and comprehensive services for the homeless.
"In this instance federal funding and county cooperation allows us to build in Palm Springs a center of housing, rehabilitation and recovery that will move people permanently from our streets to their new homes," Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton said.
"For our residents, businesses, visitors and for those living on our streets it is a time for action. The Palm Springs Navigation Center is a concrete action step that will make a difference in our community. We thank Supervisor Perez and our partners at the county of Riverside in making a difference,'' Middleton added.
The Palm Springs City Council discussed this center during a meeting two weeks ago. According to the council, the center would be located at 3589 McCarthy Road, just east of Highway 111.
The city estimated that it would need to spend up to $13 million to make this vision a reality.
During the same meeting, the city council approved a resolution allowing Palm Springs and the county to enter a joint application to apply for up to $50 million from the state's Homekey program, which helps provide housing for the homeless.
If approved, Palm Springs would provide $5.3 million in funds from a state grant they received in June 2020 to address homelessness. That funding would go toward the navigation center's construction and operations over the the next 9 years.
In the past, residents and local businesses near the site have expressed concern with the center's location, citing the loss of property value, the crime rate of the area, and the nearby residential neighborhoods.
The Desert Highland Gateway Estates Neighborhood along with a few surrounding neighborhoods are planning a demonstration before Thursday's city council meeting. The group is protesting the location of the center
"The site is immediately adjacent to both single-family and multi-family residential uses and has potential impacts on residents and businesses nearby," reads an announcement by The Desert Highland Gateway Estates Community Action Association
The city is currently in escrow to purchase the property and is expected to bring forward an agreement with the county for council approval on January 27th.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
