The abandoned Sahara Resort and Spa in Desert Hot Springs is being demolished

The abandoned Sahara Resort and Spa in Desert Hot Springs has been a hot spot for unhoused individuals to squat. The city has acquired an emergency warrant to demolish the property.

Bulldozers and excavators are in process of demolishing the land at the Sahara Resort and Spa.

The city has identified the land as a public safety concern, especially as homeless people are staying in these neglected buildings.

"A message out there to property owners in our community that don't want to take responsibility for their properties," Doria Wilms, the interim City Manager. "The city of desert hot springs is not going to stand for that anymore."

She says they plan to demolish the entire block near Palm Drive and fifth street.

"Next week, there are two additional emergency demo warrants that the city will seek to obtain, to basically level this entire city block and abate the public nuisance issue that has been absolutely tormenting this community," says Wilms.

Wilms says a consulting firm has been working on identifying solutions to the homeless problem in the city since last August.

The company is called S.E.H. Consulting and is contracted with the city of Desert Hot Springs. The leader of these efforts, "he's interviewing stakeholders, not just within the community, but stakeholders in the unhoused population and finding out what their needs are, what their struggles are, so that he can come back to the city and present some comprehensive ideas on how the city can better approach those needs," says Wilms.

Residents say it is about time. "I think at this point, what this is going to do is it's going to clear the way for hopefully somebody else to come in and develop this property back to the form of beauty that it possessed," says Wilms.

Sahara has been a consistent issue for the city. "I think that we've probably been out to this complex, probably around 10 times this year thus far," says Mike Beverlin, Deputy Chief with Riverside County Fire Department. Wilms says that there is an unhoused population they have to provide resources for the unhoused population but also identify criminal behavior.

 The 2022 Riverside County Point-in-time count found forty-eight homeless people in Desert Hot Springs.

    The consulting firm researching solutions for the city's concerns about homeless people is planning to have an official proposal presented to the council in two months.