New housing in Coachella for homeless and mentally ill people gets $11.3 million state boost
Riverside County has been awarded millions in state funding, including $11.3 million earmarked for Coachella, to create housing for people who are homeless and struggling with severe mental illness.
The $29.5 million total in funding will pay for 147 new units of permanent supportive housing spread across three cities.
Besides the Villa Verde apartment complex in Coachella, the money will go toward:
The Sunrise at Bogart housing development in Riverside with $1.1 million
Phases one and two of the Tres Lagos Apartments in Wildomar with $17.1 million
The county secured funding from California's No Place Like Home program with commitments from the Riverside University Health System to offer "wrap-around" behavioral health services to future tenants and the county housing authority to provide housing vouchers for the units.
People who experience chronic homelessness or are at risk of homelessness will also be prioritized for the new housing. Residents will have access to mental health care, physical health care, help with substance use disorders and referrals to additional medical resources.
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"This is important because it will provide much-needed, supportive housing, wrap-around services, and stability to the most vulnerable residents in our community," housing authority Director Heidi Marshall said in a statement.
She added that the funding is "one of the most significant investments in affordable housing" in the county.
The permanent supportive housing will be created in partnership with NPHS Inc., Abode Communities and Palm Communities, three affordable housing companies that will develop, own and operate the new apartment complexes.
Construction at all sites is scheduled to start in 2024.
Villa Verde in Coachella
The funding for Coachella will go toward Villa Verde, a 152-unit affordable apartment complex set for 9.2 acres just west of Calle Techa, between Calle Verde and Calle Zamora.
In November 2021, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors advanced plans for the development, consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom options to be made available for low-income families.
On Wednesday, Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez shared via his Facebook: "The project will also tackle homelessness in the city as 50 units will be set aside for those that suffer homelessness and mental health challenges."
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Though construction was originally scheduled to start later this year, the county is awaiting additional funding to cover the total $62 million cost. That will include money from the state's Multifamily Housing Program, said Mike Walsh, deputy director of the housing authority, formally called Riverside County Housing and Workforce Solutions.
"The county should be hearing back on that funding by the end of the year," Walsh said. "If they receive the funding, they'll start construction in 2024."
Eliana Perez covers the eastern Coachella Valley, including the cities of Indio and Coachella. Reach her at eliana.perez@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ElianaPress.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella housing for homeless people gets $11.3 million
