The Palm Springs Navigation Campus is on the agenda for a symposium in Indio

The Palm Springs Navigation Campus is on the agenda for a symposium on Thursday, February 1st, that Supervisor Perez, the Riverside County Housing and Workforce Solutions Department, and Coachella Valley cities all have efforts to place individuals into housing and increase housing construction throughout the Coachella Valley.

 The goal was to bring the entire community of homeless resources together to discuss the state of homelessness in the Coachella Valley and the county. Many folks in the room shared their stories of homelessness while being a part of the conversation for solutions and plans.

“Having moved to conducting the homelessness point-in-time count once every two years, we are using this time to really take a step back and think through where we can get better,” says Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “This symposium will show the investments that have been done and partnerships in cities, and report on progress in our county’s Homeless Action Plan. This is going to be informative and also an interactive assessment of our efforts and solution-focused symposium.”

We have been tracking the progress of the navigation center.

 "They're putting up the slideshows, and they're putting those numbers, those numbers attached to a person.," says an Alum of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, Anyse Smith. "Once upon a time, I was one of those people who they're talking about."

Anyse Smith experienced homelessness in the Coachella Valley in 2013.

The Riverside County Housing and Workforce Solutions team presented that 31% of individuals experiencing homelessness in Riverside County are in the Coachella Valley.

Smith found herself living at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. "I was experiencing drug addiction, alcoholism," says Smith. "And this was the only place that I had to go; they welcomed me with open arms. That day was August 26, 2013. And I never looked back."

Now, Smith is an attorney sitting in rooms like this to discuss plans for accessible housing for all. She cheers on the idea of having the Palm Springs navigation center, which is set to open this year.

When: 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, February 1st.

Where: Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, located at 47470 Van Buren Street, Indio, CA  92201.