State Awards $19M for Palm Springs Navigation Center

The State of California awarded the City of Palm Springs and Riverside County a $19 million from the Homekey Round 2 program to address homelessness and housing.

The city and county were co-applicants for the funding to build and operate the Palm Springs Navigation Campus.

The campus will consist of a shelter facility, 80 interim housing units and full wrap-around services that will include behavioral health care, workforce training, linkage to state and county services, and other resources to get unhoused individuals linked to permanent housing.

Riverside County has allocated $5.7 million to the Navigation Campus from the Fourth District’s federal American Rescue Plan Act funding, and the City of Palm Springs is contributing $5.3 million of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funds to the project. With today’s $19 million state grant, $30 million has been secured for the Palm Springs Navigation Campus.

Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez stated, “I am proud of this successful award of state funding, an effort that was led out of my office and an example of the collaborative work the county and City of Palm Springs have been working on for five years to bring holistic help for our unhoused residents. I am also glad the $5.7 million American Rescue Plan Act allocation from the county, which we propose to increase to a total of $7 million, is acting as matching dollars for this project.”

“We couldn’t be more grateful and excited about today’s announcement of the state’s significant investment in the Palm Springs Navigation Center. This funding will allow us to make a significant impact and real time solutions for our homeless residents,” said Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton.

With this funding, the city will continue to move forward with design, renovations and construction. Additionally, the funding provides operational dollars for Martha’s Village & Kitchen who the city has selected as the operator. The anticipated opening of the navigation campus is spring of 2023.

“Riverside County is excited that the State has awarded Homekey Round 2 funds to the Palm Springs Navigation Center. We are proud to be partners in this holistic effort to bring needed resources to our unhoused residents in the western Coachella Valley,” said Riverside County’s Director of Housing and Workforce Solutions Heidi Marshall.

Homekey Round 2 continues a statewide effort to sustain and rapidly expand housing for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, approximately $1.4 billion (FY 2021-22) in grant funding will be made available to local public entities, including cities, counties, or other local public entities, such as housing authorities or Tribal Entities within California.

Homekey is an opportunity for state, regional, and local public entities to develop a broad range of housing types, including but not limited to hotels, motels, hostels, single-family homes and multifamily apartments, adult residential facilities, and manufactured housing, and to convert commercial properties and other existing buildings to permanent or interim housing.