The Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved $7.6 million in funding to support emergency shelter projects in Riverside County.
The funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and will support the development of eight new housing projects located across all five supervisorial districts, county officials said.
The county’s Homeless Action Plan, a five-year timeline that identifies areas to address homelessness, set a goal to increase the number of shelter beds across the region by 25 percent. With the development of these projects alone, the county will supersede this goal by creating a total of 241 new emergency shelter beds, which is a 28 percent increase in emergency shelter beds in Riverside County.
“Housing is a critical tool we need for our unhoused residents here in Riverside County,” Heidi Marshall, deputy director of the County of Riverside Department of Housing and Workforce Solutions, said. “Each of these projects will expand our existing infrastructure and support individuals who are struggling with a housing crisis.”
Emergency shelter beds provide a critical transition from street homelessness into housing. It is also a preventive tool to avoid street homelessness for individuals experiencing homelessness for the first time. During their stay, individuals are provided with essential items and services, including case management and assistance with resolving their homelessness.
“We need to create as many opportunities as possible to address the needs of families who are experiencing homelessness in our county,” said Second District Supervisor Karen Spiegel, who is also a member of the Homeless Continuum of Care Board of Governance. “This investment is building our system’s capacity so individuals in crisis are not turned away because of space shortages.”
For more information about the projects or the coordination of homeless services in Riverside County, contact Tanya Torno at [email protected] or 951-955-7728.
