Palm Springs discusses homeless navigation center funding; Nearby residents protest location
Update 9:00 PM:
The City Council unanimously approved the funding agreement, with Mayor Pro-Tem Grace Garner adding that she is a no vote for the purchase agreement.
Garner represents District 1, where the proposed center would be located.
Original Report 01/27/21
On Thursday evening, the City of Palm Springs discussed a funding agreement with Riverside County for its proposed homeless navigation center.
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 held a demonstration before Thursday's city council meeting. The group is protesting the location of the center.
"It’s not that we’re against the homeless, we’re against the navigation center," said President of the neighborhood group Cynthia Sessions.
Many residents say that north Palm Springs already faces problems of substance abuse, mental health and violence.
Kenneth Williams, a resident who lives adjacent to the proposed center, added "We’re against placing these things in residential areas where there’s children. And if their children were in these places, would they approve it?"
Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton assured the center would be safe. Middleton explained it would not be a drop-in facility and would have security 24/7. “We intend to make sure that this facility is extremely well run. and one of the things we know is that homeless counseling makes a difference , that having professionals run a homeless facility makes all the difference in the world.”
This week, 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.
Riverside County would provide up to $5.9 million to buy the property located on 3589 McCarthy Road in Palm Springs to use as a homeless navigation center.
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 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.
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.
